The Pendulum Turns Forward
by SeanJared
Summary: What happens when a threat, the most powerful yet, emerges? Who will defeat him? Ichigo Kurosaki? He has his hands full, being Captain-Commander and all. Only someone unaffiliated with Soul Society has the opportunity to defeat this menace. Cue Hikari...
1. Chapter 1: Cue Hikari

The Pendulum Turns Forward

_Many years have passed since Ichigo became a Shinigami. Most of the captains have retired, bringing new faces to the world. Ichigo himself has become Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13. But, there is a new enemy on the horizon, one more powerful than any before. Fortunately, for every villain, a hero must be born._

"Wake up, Hikari! You'll be late for school! Again…" Hikari opened his eyes and yawned.

"Come on, Hikari! If you're late one more time, you'll be suspended." Hikari's sister, Temari, called.

Hikari sat up, "What about you? Aren't you running late?"

Silence. And then, "Ah well, you got me. If you would remember correctly, you would know that today is a national holiday. Remember? Teacher work day."

Hikari smiled, imagining the luxury of this lazy day. He got up, showered, and dressed. As he stepped down the stairs, he called to his sister.

"Okay, I'm headed out. See you later, Temari."

"Alright, but be back for dinner. You know how Dad gets when you aren't home when the food is on the table."

Hikari waved her off, saying, "I will, don't worry."

He walked out of the house, whistling. Turning left, he saw his neighbor, Akira and his girlfriend, Chiyo.

"Hey, Hikari," Akira called, raising his hand.

Hikari waved back, saying nothing. They all came down their stairs, and stood in front of each other.

"So," Hikari said slowly, "what are we going to do today?"

"I don't know…" was the reply he got.

_Well, I'm pretty tired of picking the activity, _Hikari thought. _They can decide and, if they can't, I'll just pick a tree and take a nap. Maybe go to the library and read a book._

"Hey, why don't we go to the zoo, and then we can see the fireworks and the parade better?" Chiyo determined. Hikari shrugged, not caring.

"That's a great idea, Chiyo!" Akira told her. She blushed.

"Alright, then," Hikari said abruptly, trying to stop the love-fest. "So, let's see who wants to go, and we'll head out."

As they walked around, Hikari could see people floating around, not noticed by his friends. Most of them looked pretty happy, some looked rather somber.

_Hikari could see spirits._ He always had been. At first, people would think that he was speaking to himself, when in fact they just couldn't see the spirit that he was speaking to. Eventually, Hikari began to differentiate between the dead and the living.

"Man," said Hikari. "You'd think that at least one person would want to come with us. Are we that lame?" They had been walking all day, but had found no one who wanted to go. Or, at least, go with them.

"Well, there's still one more house that we haven't tried," Akira tried.

"But," Chiyo reasoned, "the parade is in only half an hour, and the zoo is fifteen minutes away, and we have to find a good spot."

Hikari ignored her. "So, who is this last person that we have to stop by?"

Chiyo started yelling about how Hikari never listened to her. He smiled slyly while Akira tried to calm her down.

Finally, Akira told him the address of the last student.

"Wait a second," Hikari said, thinking. "Isn't that the address…" His voice trailed off.

_No, not her. Anyone but her. Please, I really don't want her to come with us._ Hikari prayed to as many deities as possible that they weren't going to _her _house. She was, in his opinion, the most peculiar person (not in a good way) he had ever met.

"Earth to Hikari! Hello? Come on, we're here." Chiyo's voice snapped Hikari from his thoughts. The house in front was, indeed, _her _house.

"Alright, let's go. We may as well get this over with." Hikari wasn't trying to sound irritated, but that's how it came out.

As the group climbed the stairs, he cringed inwardly at the thoughts running through his head.

_Why does it have to be her? Why, why, why? Oh, this is bad._

Akira knocked on the door.

Footsteps.

The door opened.

Kori Kuchiki stepped out of the door.


	2. Chapter 2: Cue Kori

**Chapter Two: Kori**

_Hikari_

I was sooo upset. I mean, here I was, face-to-face with Kori Kuchiki. It's not that I didn't like her, it's just that we didn't get along too well. She thought that I was a moron and I thought that she was a know-it-all.

Oh, sorry, you must not know. I'm Hikari. The narrator was getting old, and I'd rather tell it from my perspective. Don't worry, I'll make sure that everyone gets their bit in. But, for the most part, you'll have to listen to me. So, here goes nothing.

"Hey, Kori, we were wondering if you would like to go with us to the parade." Akira said. He smiled, and I could see that Chiyo didn't really like that.

She cocked her head slightly and asked, "There's a parade today? What's the occasion?"

We looked at each other, not able to come up with an answer.

"Um, it's the… anniversary… of when… someone… did something important?" I tried to come up with something on the fly.

She looked at us and smiled, "Oh, I am really sorry. I can not go." She looked up, to her right. "I have to… clean the house, and watch the family." She shrugged apologetically and scratched her nose. "Sorry. Maybe next time."

Akira and Chiyo nodded in understanding, but I wasn't fooled. I am a master at lying, and can pick out a crook from a mile away. From her body language (scratching the nose) to the fact that she wouldn't use contractions, I knew that something was up. I also knew how to definitely tell.

"That's alright," I said smoothly. "So, have you seen any good movies lately?"

She relaxed, and that was when I knew that she had been lying. Then, she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Yes, I have. Not too many, so I won't bore you with the details. Besides, I have work to do and you have to get to the parade, right? It looks like it's about to begin."

We turned and saw a procession of people steadily moving toward the zoo area. Running off, I turned and looked back. Kori stared at me, intently, for a second, and then turned and walked in her house.

"Ugh, why did we have to go to Kuchiki's house?" Chiyo complained. I rolled my eyes. "Now we're gonna be late!"

"Well, we had to try. And, Kori was so cool about it." Akira attempted to lighten the mood, but it backfired and Chiyo gave him a nasty look.

She started shouting about how he was "goggling" over her and "why didn't he pay her any attention". The more Akira tried to defend himself, the worse it got for him. I laughed, and suddenly, the death-stare turned on me.

"And, what were you doing? That whole 'what movies have you seen' thing was completely irrelevant! If I didn't know better, I'd think that you were a bit embarrassed." She looked at me slyly.

"Okay, don't even go there. Never in my life would that happen. And, second, it was a test. She was lying about not being able to go. Trust me, I know when people are lying."

"What?" Chiyo asked, obviously shocked. "How do you know that she was lying?"

I sighed. "Body language, eye movement, and some other stuff. But, I had her after I changed the subject. She relaxed, and that's when I knew that she was lying."

Chiyo still didn't look convinced, and I didn't feel like fully explaining the theory of micro-expressions, so I just kept running. Finally, we got to the zoo. Unfortunately, there were already a lot of people there.

I heard something far in the distance. I didn't see anything in front of me, so I turned around.

In the distance, there was this huge figure, hulking, and dead-white. It had a weird mask on its face and a hole where its heart was supposed to be.

_What the…? _I thought. Looking around, I saw that no one else had noticed. _How do they not see this? It's gigantic!_

Spinning around, I began to run. Keeping my eyes on the monster, I crossed street after street. Above me, I noticed a figure in a black kimono jumping from house to house, in the same direction.

_Thank goodness, _I thought. _I'm not the only one who sees this thing. I hope this guy has something to fight this monster._

Turning, I ran along the sidewalk. Cars whisked past me, probably on their way to the parade at the zoo. Thinking about that made me remember that I had left my friends at the entrance. I shrugged it off, not worrying about it.

I turned one last time, and almost ran into the thing. It was a lot bigger in person, taller than most, if not all, of the buildings around. It was stomping around, crushing utility poles, clearing the roofs off of houses, and stepping on people. I did the only thing that I could think of…

"Hey, stupid!" It looked down at me. "Yeah, you, big and ugly! Why don't you leave these people alone?"

The monster clearly had no clue what I was saying. But, it could see that I was being a nuisance and, wanting to eat me, it started in my direction.

_Crap, _I thought as I ran. Sprinting around it seemed like the best idea, so that's what I did. I drew its attention with a few more taunts, and then ran away from everyone. I prayed that someone would come and help, because I couldn't run forever. At the outskirts of the city, the monster got tired of chasing me. He – I assumed it was a he – smashed his fist down right in front of me. I skidded to a stop, literally inches from becoming a squished-cartoon-Hikari. I turned around, eyes wide.

The monster-thing was right in front of me, his arm raised. There was no time to react; I just closed my eyes and braced for impact.

There was a whoosh in front of me, and then the sound of metal scraping. I opened my eyes, and saw the figure from before. He was holding a katana, protecting me from the beast.

"Run away, you idiot!" His voice sounded familiar, and was oddly high-pitched.

"No, I want to help!" I replied foolishly.

"Ugh, fine, then. Run behind it and be a distraction. I'll slash it from behind."

I did as was told, dashing out and yelling out all sorts of insults. Its head followed me, and when I got to the point where its head would turn any farther, it turned around. I smiled.

_Perfect._

And, then, its arm swept out and hit me. I flew into a tree. The pain was excruciating, and I said some stuff that I can't put in print. Laying there on the ground, I had a bad perspective, but I remember seeing someone flying up in front of the sun, and then crashing down, sword slicing. As soon as the blade touched the monster, it reached out and grabbed him. At that point, I had started to get up.

"Hikari catch!" I looked up, and saw a spinning blade coming towards me. Like a pro, though, I caught it. One-handed, no less. The detail was immaculate, and the tsuba (hand guard) was interesting. A white diamond. I had no idea what I was doing with this sword, or what the diamond meant, so I just stood there.

"What are you doing, just standing there?" He coughed, getting crushed. "Use the thing, idiot!"

Those words spurred me into action, and I charged in. I was no rookie with a blade; I knew what I was doing.

With its other hand, the monster tried to squish me again. Instead, I sidestepped and ran up its arm. When I got to the shoulder, I stabbed. The thing dropped the other guy, staggering back. He fell to the ground, landing with a thud. Now that it had a free hand, the beast grabbed me and threw me to the ground.

I hit the concrete. HARD. I coughed up some blood, and my vision went hazy. More importantly, the guy's blade clanged out of my hand. It was only a few feet away, but I couldn't reach it in time.

I thought that it was over, when, again, the guy saved my skin. He took the blow, using his body as a shield. The guy then dashed at his sword and stabbed the monster in hand. He then grabbed me and moved to a nearby tree. All of this happened in about a second or two.

_Wait, how did he move so fast? That can't be possible!_

"Hikari, you retard. Why didn't you go for the head?"

"I didn't think…" I looked up at him. And, realized that he wasn't _he _at all. "Kori?"

She looked down at me. "Yes, it's me. I'll explain later. But, I don't have enough energy to finish this guy off; I used most of it saving your butt. We're gonna turn you into a hero, alright?"

I had no idea what I was getting into, but I nodded. If I was able to take this guy out and save everyone at the park, then there really was no option.

The creature started back towards us, slowly but steadily. "I'm gonna take this sword and ram it into your chest. One of two things will happen: Either you'll come out, with a sword like this, hopefully strong enough to take this guy out. Or, you'll be killed instantly." I frowned at that last one. "But, if you hesitate, you'll die anyway. So, are you in?"

I looked at the monster, then at Kori. I wasn't sure about how this would work exactly.

"So, either I live or I die. Those aren't bad odds. Let's do this."

She grinned. "You have no idea how long I've waited to do this." And, then she proceeded to stab me.

_That wasn't too nice, _I said to myself, hypocritically.

Then, there was a huge flash.

I emerged from the clichéd smoke, gripping a claymore. It was huge, with some illegible writing on the hilt. The tsuba was a simple circle; there was nothing special about the blade, minus the fact that it was almost as tall as I was.

I was dressed in the exact same outfit as Kori, minus a few unimportant details. I remember thinking,

_Man, I really wish I had some action music right now._

_Kori_

I meant to give him half of my strength. Only half. But, Hikari ended up taking it all. Every last drop. I was left in a white kimono, showing that I had nothing left.

Hello, my name is Kori Kuchiki. I'm not sure what Hikari has told you about me, but I'm sure that it has been only positive.

Anyway, there Hikari stood above me, with a gigantic longsword gripped in both of his hands. The thing, a Hollow, roared and lashed out its arm, but Hikari didn't move. He just… appeared behind the Hollow. A second later, a slice appeared on its leg. Then, Hikari back flipped high into the air. He brought his blade down and sliced the creature in two. It dissolved into nothing.

Hikari turned around. "Lucy, you got some 'splaining to do."

He walked over to me, but stumbled. He steadied himself, shook his head, and then passed out.


	3. Chapter 3: Cue Urahara

**Chapter Three: Cue Urahara**

**Author's note: I am officially taking questions. Ask a question in the review section and you might just be in the next chapter! I will answer everything, unless it will be explained in a future chapter (then you'll get a vague and mysterious answer). Thanks for reading!**

Between bouts of unconsciousness, I saw a lot of different things. I saw people, a glimpse of an old shop, and a black cat. The weirdest part was the "dreams" that I had. I put quotations, because they weren't really dreams. They were more like visions of what was happening. I saw a figure dressed in white, in an outfit like Kori, with a black sword. It was thin and long, with a manji as the tsuba. On the other side, I saw another old figure, dressed in black. He was surrounded with fire and, instead of a sword, he had a long winding cane. I couldn't see their faces, but I knew that something was going down. And, whatever it was, it was going to be dangerous. Then, alongside the old figure in black, another figure, also in black, appeared. And, when I say appeared, I mean he just appeared. Out of nowhere, he just materialized. He unsheathed his sword, and held it there. The figure said something that I couldn't hear. The sword just dissolved and became bright flower petals. But, they didn't look like your average rose petals. These ones looked like things that could slice someone like me up and down. Then, on the other side of the old man, _another _figure came up. This one looked the most dangerous. He had four wings and a black mask on his face. It was terrifying, and yet the figure on the left didn't flinch once. He just watched as the numbers on the right multiplied, faster and faster, until it seemed like it was millions against one. Finally, a second person showed up on the left side. He was clad in… the color kept changing. He didn't even have a weapon. I felt sorry for the guy, but, before I could say anything, my vision started getting brighter. Light swarmed in, and then faded into nothingness. I tried to hold on, to see the outcome, but it faded completely, leaving me in darkness.

"Hikari! Hikari!" A voice called my name. It started very faintly, but it slowly crescendoed until it sounded like whoever was speaking was right next to me.

"What's going on, Kori?" Another voice, masculine, came into the fold. I was confused, but I thought that the best course of action had to be to face it head-on. So, I opened my eyes. The light flooded through, forcing me to close them. I coughed a couple times, but soon I tried opening my eyes again. The light came in, but I could at least refocus them.

"Good, you're awake." I looked over, trying to find the source. My eyes found the doorway, where I saw Kori and a man that I didn't recognize. It looked like he had a bucket on his head, and was wearing really old-school clothing.

"Hey, what's going on?" I looked down at my clothing. They were the same that I had been wearing before the fight. "What happened to the kimono? And the super-awesome sword that I had?" I looked around, trying to see if they had been put somewhere.

"Hikari, stop," the man said. He moved around Kori and sat next to me. "Let me introduce myself: My name is Kisuke. Kisuke Urahara. I am a Shinigami. Shinigami have two major jobs, to defeat Hollows and send souls to Soul Society, and to protect Soul Society." I was about to ask something, but he rose his hand to silence me. "You'll get more of this if you let me explain this without breaking. I'll answer your questions later. Anywhere, way was I?" He looked up, confused for a second. "Oh, right. So, there are two different kinds of souls."

"Oh, well, I've been able to see spirits for a while. I tried to ignore them, tried not to bring any attention my way." I told, trying to defend myself.

Urahara looked back at me. "Oh, that's helpful. It's fine, I understand." He turned to Kori. "Don't you have some sort of display that coordinates with what I'm saying?" She nodded and brought out a projector. It shone against the wall opposite where I was now sitting up.

Kori's voice came out of the projector. "There are two types of souls." Two crudely done bunnies were shown on the wall. "There are pluses," a circle came around the bunny on the left, a happy white bunny. It looked extremely deformed, with two-and-a-half ears. The rabbit had two toes on one leg and three toes on the other. "These are good souls, the normal ones. As long as they have a Soul Burial, they will be sent to Soul Society. The other ones," the circle was now around the other creature. It looked like Roadrunner had a kid with a werewolf, "are called Hollows. They are souls that have stayed on Earth too long, and grown from hate and despair. These monsters, like the one we faced, are large creatures, humanoid. They have large masks on their faces and holes where their hearts are. When the mask is sliced, or the hollow gains enough damage, its soul is cleansed and it's sent to Soul Society." A new picture showed up, what I thought was supposed to be a city. It ended up looking like a bunch of rectangles, misshapen. "Soul Society is an afterlife for souls. It's generally just like life on Earth. Souls that are sent to Soul Society become Shinigami. Most Shinigami aren't too powerful, but the ones that have strong reiatsu, spiritual pressure, go into the Seireitei. They join a division, led by a captain and his lieutenant." There was a picture of two smiling men. It was extremely detailed and well-drawn. "From there, Shinigami are numbered by their power. There are 13 divisions, led by the captain of the 1st Division, Ichigo Kurosaki." A well-drawn picture of Kurosaki showed up on the screen. He looked twenty-something, and had a huge sword that was as tall as he was. "He is an able leader, albeit hot-headed at times. With him, we have defeated many enemies. Soul Society trusts him one-hundred percent, and will lay down their lives for him."

Then, the screen went black. Kisuke applauded politely, congratulating Kori on her skill.

"Why do most of your drawings suck?" I asked, bluntly.

She turned her head slowly, and I knew that I was in trouble. She walked towards me and then smiled. I didn't relax. The last thing I saw was her balled up fist coming towards my face. Then, I was crumpled against the wall.

"OWWW! What was that for?" I yelled. I stood to my feet, dusting myself.

"Don't judge my drawings, idiot. You should be glad; I've just explained the entire thing to you. Did you even pay attention?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, Soul Society is the place for good souls. Shinigami live there. Souls that stay too long in the Human Realm become Hollows. Shinigami have to defeat Hollows, cleansing their souls and sending them to Soul Society. The strong ones live in the Seireitei. Shinigami join one of thirteen squads, and their rank expresses their strength. The squads are led by Ichigo Kurosaki, a powerful Shinigami. There, how's that?"

She looked impressed. "Wow, you might not be as big of an idiot as I thought." I smiled, proud. "Nope, you are. You're an idiot." My face fell, irritated.

Before I could retort, though, Urahara stepped between us.

"Okay, then. Now, that we've got that under control, we only have thing to do."

I looked confused. Glancing at Kori, she looked a bit too happy. It was a bit scary.

"What are you talking about?"

He looked at me, smirked, and said one word.

"Training."


	4. Chapter 4: Cue Tenshi

**Chapter Four: Cue Tenshi**

"_Training."_

I cringed inwardly, but I had no choice. There was no way I could run, they would catch me. I couldn't fight, they were stronger. So, I had to follow them. Kisuke led me to an elevator of sorts. Going down, I looked around, trying to find some way of escape.

"Please don't attempt to escape." He turned and smiled at me. I shuddered.

_Did he just read my mind?_

The lift dropped, and my jaw did the same. The cavern/training area was enormous. Fully stone, it was at least a couple football fields wide, and at least that high. I gaped, and tried to take it all in.

"Hikari, you are officially in a group of extremely powerful people. A very small amount of humans can become Shinigami, I believe that there are only about two others. So, it means that you have an extremely large amount of Reiatsu hidden in your reserves. So, you'll have to train. I know that you can fight, but I'm going to give you a crash course in Shinigami combat. So, Hikari, let's begin."

He brought out his cane and hit me in the forehead with it. I flew backwards, out of my body.

"Whoa, this is weird. There's my body, but I'm right here… How is that possible?" I whipped my head back and forth.

"Like I said, you're a special case. You are a Shinigami, but still completely Human. As a result, in Shinigami form, you're other body is without a soul. In other words, it remains like that… A giant clump." I groaned.

_Another thing that they should have told me… _I added that to the list of things that I learned that day.

"Alright, so what kind of training are we doing? Sword-fighting? Hand-to-Hand?" I was pretty proficient in those areas, so I was ready to show off.

"You have a Zanpakuto. But, I can tell that there is something rather wonky about it. It's not completely… yours, if that makes any sense."

I nodded. It had felt really weird, like I was being tugged in two different directions.

"Training will consist of a few parts. The first will require no effort on your part. We will place you in a Reiatsu Amplifier. All you have to do is focus, and you should unlock the true power of your Zanpakuto. You have to learn its name."

"Oh, I can name my sword? Awesome!" I was ready, thinking of a name that could work for my blade.

"No, that's not what I said. Zanpakuto have names, but you'll learn more of that in the Reiatsu Amplifier. Please, follow me."

I walked behind him, wondering what the "Reiatsu Amplifier" was and how invasive it could be. He said that it would be easy, but I wasn't sure. Nothing had been easy. In less than twenty-four hours, I had become a Shinigami, defeated my first Hollow, learned what those two things were, and was about to learn my sword's name. There wasn't going to be an easy moment.

"Here we are!" Urahara broke me from my thoughts. I stopped beside him.

We were in front of a door. Just an average door, not too large, no elaborate ornaments, just a regular wooden door. But, it seemed like there was something dangerous behind it. I slowly turned the knob, increasing the suspense.

The door opened.

But, there was nothing in there. The room was empty. I turned back and looked at Urahara. He waved me in.

"Welcome to the Reiatsu Amplifier Room. Just sit here and lay your Zanpakuto across your lap."

I walked in and sat in the middle of the floor, placing the sword across my legs like I was told. Urahara shut the door, and then I heard a bunch of beeps and whistles. I focused, trying to clear my mind. Whenever I was upset, I could always just sit and clear my mind. But, it was difficult. There were two different voices calling my name, both growing louder and louder.

I closed my eyes, trying to dispel the clashing voices. They grew louder and louder and louder.

Then, silence.

I heard rushing water. My eyes opened, readjusting to the bright light. I realized what the sound of rushing water was. I was looking straight into a waterfall. Looking down, I realized that I was standing on a platform. The weird part: The platform was _floating in midair_. Keeping my composure, I glanced around, seeing my new surroundings. It was very serene, a waterfall falling into a river, with a small forest around the bank. I wished that I was at the top, and, as soon as I thought it, my platform shot up. I slipped, losing my balance and going down. Luckily, I caught the side of the platform, saving myself from a very wet death.

Gripping the sides, I held onto my floating platform and it carried me above the waterfall. I dropped down onto the soft grass, and kept looking around, trying to figure out where I was.

"Hello, Hikari." I spun around. There was standing a tall, elegant woman, where a silver, flowing dress. I had no idea who the woman was, but she looked kind enough.

"Oh, um, hey. Who are you?"

"My name is Daiyamondo. I am the Zanpakuto spirit within you." She smiled.

"She's lying, Hikari," a voice behind me called. I saw a mid-height man, looking about 25, with short dark hair. He was wearing a black suit with a golden tie and a sword draped across his back, just like me. "I'm your Zanpakuto spirit. My name is -" I couldn't hear the last part.

"Wait, what's your name?" I asked. He sighed, shaking his head.

"For now, don't worry about it. But, this proves that I'm your Zanpakuto." He asserted.

Daiyamondo scoffed. "That proves nothing! I've been within Hikari ever since he became a Shinigami. I'm his true Zanpakuto, you are simply an imposter."

I was shocked. But, then I realized that Urahara told me something like that.

_He said that I was depending on Kori's power. So, that means that one of these is Kori's and the other is mine. But, which one?_

I looked from one to the other, but couldn't make my mind up. Meanwhile, the two Zanpakuto began shouting at each other over who was the real interpretation of my soul and who was just along for the ride.

"Hey, everyone," I tried. Nobody heard me, so I spoke a little louder. "GUYS! SHUT UP!"

They turned and looked at me, shocked.

I continued, "So, one of you is my Zanpakuto and the other isn't. Daiyamondo, you told me your name. I've learned that, throughout this journey, that nothing is that easy. In order to become a Shinigami, I had to get thrown around like a doll by a giant Hollow. After commenting on Kori's drawing, I got punched in the face. Throughout life, I've realized that nothing is easy. So, I have to admit, you are not my Zanpakuto. Thank you for helping me realize that."

Daiyamondo frowned. "So, I'm not yours? Alright, I'll leave. But, I think that we would've made a good team."

The man chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. If everything works out, we will be working together."

Daiyamondo disappeared instantly, leaving me and the man standing face-to-face.

"So, what's your name again?" I asked.

"I'm surprised that, even in a Reiatsu Amplifier, you can't hear me. I've been calling for you all day. If you won't listen, then I won't try. But, for now, I'll let you go. We'll be talking again in a little bit, though. See you then."

My eyes shot open, and I saw the light. Literally, it was as if the room was a giant flame and I was in the white center of it.

I heard a faint voice saying, "Ten. She. Ten. She. Ten. She."

I had no idea what that meant, but I decided to store it into my memory-bank. The light died.

The door opened and Urahara stepped through. "So, I presume that you've discovered the name of your Zanpakuto, right?"

I looked down, "Um, not exactly. I know who it is. I just don't know his name."

"Oh. Well, that's going to hinder progress a bit. That's okay, though. We can go on without that. You'll learn it soon enough."

_Another statement shrouded in mystery, _I thought.

We walked out of Reiatsu Amplifier and headed back to the training cavern.

Urahara clapped his hands together. "Okay, well, you can't make it without a Shikai in Soul Society, so we're going to do what I call active training. You are going to fight in order to gain a Shikai."

I kinda expected that was coming. "So, who am I sparring with? Kori? One of your employees?"

Urahara shook his head. "No, you'll be battling me."

I stepped back, putting my hand on my sword's hilt, preparing myself. "Alright, let's do this. Just because you've helped me doesn't mean that I'm going easy on you, though."

He chuckled, "I wouldn't want it any other way."

He brought out his basic, wooden can. Pulling on his handle, a blade came out, his Zanpakuto.

"Let's begin," he called, moving. The man, although really old, was fast. Extremely fast. I unsheathed my claymore and swung down, just in time to block Urahara's sword from slicing me in half. I pushed back and he retreated. Taking that as a sign that I should attack, I charged in. I swung, but Urahara jumped over my sword. I looked around, trying to find him, be he wasn't in my line of sight. I looked up, and finally saw him looking down at me. He was standing on my head. I swung up, but he leaped off to the side.

Urahara called to me, "If you're going to get serious, now is the time. Nake, Benihime."

There was a flash, and his sword transformed. I assumed it was his Shikai. Deciding to finish this before he got an advantage, I swung at him, aiming right for the jugular. He blocked and, despite science saying that it shouldn't be possible, his blade sliced straight through mine.

_WHAT? This isn't possible!_ I told myself. But, I was only left with half a sword proving that it had been done.

He swung in a swooping arc. I blocked it, but my sword got cut through again. I was left with a little nub and a hilt.

"What's going on? How is this possible?" I inquired while running away.

"Well, think of it this way," Urahara chased after me, swinging his sword. "You don't trust your Zanpakuto, because you don't know it, yet. If you can't figure it out, you'll die by my hands." I shuddered. Four chapters worth of work, and Urahara would be the person to kill me? That seemed really anti-climactic, but a scary possibility. I gritted my teeth, turned, and charged in blindly. Urahara sidestepped me, putting his leg out. I collided with the ground, and everything went blurry. When my sight straightened out, Urahara was standing above me, sword raised.

"I'm sorry, Hikari," he told me. I squeezed my eyes shut.

_Hikari. _I heard the voice of the man. "Why do you keep ignoring me? Punk."

"Punk?" I opened my eyes, once again face-to-face with my Zanpakuto spirit. "I'm sorry, who do you think you're talking to?"

He coughed. "Well, it's not my fault you choose not to hear me. I told you my name. Remember? Right after you left this place, I said it over and over again, hoping you would hear me, but you continued to ignore."

I thought back, and it clicked.

"So, now it's my time to ask you the question. What is my name?"

I looked the man right in the face, and realized that I was no longer in the forest. I was now standing in front of Urahara, sword raised.

"Tenshi!"


	5. Chapter 5: Cue Reprieve

**Chapter Five: Cue Reprieve**

"_Tenshi!"_

I said that one word as menacingly as possibly. A huge light enveloped everyone and everything.

I emerged, holding a brand new sword. As a hilt and tsuba, it was a cross with illegible… Latin? The sword was a shorter than the original, with a sheath that was placed in my Shinigami outfit at my shoulder.

I moved.

Urahara blocked just in time. I came up behind him and, using the flat side of my blade, got him in the back of his knee. He fell to the ground, on one knee. I then moved to the front, placing my sword tip at his throat.

"I win," I told him. Then, with a poof, his whole body popped, like a ballo0n.

"Well, technically, yes." Urahara's voice came from behind me. I whipped around and, to my surprise, there stood Kisuke Urahara, alive and well.

"Wait, what? How? What? Why? HUH?" I stammered out. I shook my head.

"Oh, you mean this?" He held up the deflated version of himself. "This is a portable Gigai. I always keep a couple on me at all times, in situations like this. Well done, though. You achieved Shikai."

I took a mock bow, hearing thunderous applause even where there was none.

"Okay, Hikari, I think that officially gives you a small break from work. It's been two days and you haven't been home. I'll give you a ride back, but I can't bring you inside. It would seem awkward."

We walked to the elevator, went up, and walked out of his shop in complete silence. Then, I asked the million-dollar question.

"So, if you're a Shinigami, why aren't you in Soul Society?"

He chuckled, "A long time ago, someone betrayed Soul Society and framed me. I had to run away for one hundred years. Finally, we brought down the guy, and we had peace for a while. There were some minor incidents, but, for the most part, we were safe. I don't want to go back, though. I've lived too long in the Human World; I can't go back to the rigidness of the Seireitei."

I nodded, trying to look like I understand. I had very mixed feelings about Soul Society and the Gotei 13. On the one hand, it seemed like it was a pretty cool place with strong people defending it. But, on the other, it seemed very formal and specific, which definitely not my style.

We stepped in silence for a bit longer, and then finally turned onto my street. We stopped in front of the door. I looked at him, and he jerked his head towards the door.

_Oh, this is going to be BAD. Really bad. So bad, I don't think that there are words for how bad this is._

I took out my key (which was surprisingly still in my pocket) and turned it in the doorknob. It opened, and, not surprisingly, there was my dad and Temari, sitting there waiting for me.

"So, Hikari," Temari started, giddily. "I'm going to be going to my room, if you need me."

She left me all alone.

"Hello, Hikari," Dad said. "I'm gonna tell you a story. It's a story about a young, handsome man Kedakai." I sighed. My dad's name is Kedakai. "He was head of the Aoju family. Now, Kedakai Aoju was a hard-working man, making his pay. Kedakai has a beautiful daughter. She's very bright, top of her class. It's a shame about what happened to son, though." I started to worry, slightly. This wasn't looking good. "Do you know what happened to Kedakai's son?" I shook my head.

"Well, Kedakai's son – you might know him, he's your age – went out one day, in the morning. He and his friends went to go see the parade. Except, Kedakai's son didn't actually go to the parade. Do you know where he went?" I shook my head again, even though I knew it was a lie.

"Well, I don't either. And you know what it means to a father when he doesn't know about his son's whereabouts? Of course you don't. I was freaking out. I called Akira and Chiyo, who said that you just ran off. So, I have a question: Where were you?"

I thought, trying to think of a believable alibi. "I… was at a friend's house. I'm sorry I didn't call, but the day went by so quickly, that I forgot to remember, if that makes sense."

He nodded, understanding. "Oh, that's understandable. So, who were you with? Was it a girl?" Dad nudged me.

I looked sheepish, trying to sell it without seeming fake. "Yeah…" It wasn't a lie, but he was taking it to a weird place.

"So, what's her name?"

"Who?" I asked.

"Your girlfriend, of course!"

I was confused, not understanding what he was talking about. "Um, I don't have a girlfriend."

"So, what you were you doing with a girl, then?" He looked suspicious.

Moving away, I was shocked. "We were…" I remembered that I couldn't tell the whole truth, it wouldn't make sense.

"Yes?"

"We were training," I half-lied, hoping that he would buy it.

He didn't look convinced. "Training? Why in the world would my son, a young handsome boy, spend a night with a girl training?"

I shrugged. "We're just friends. Well, not quite friends, but we were training."

Dad didn't completely believe the story, but he accepted it.

"Okay, well, this a new day. Luckily for you, it's Saturday and there's no school." He stood up. "I'm gonna leave. Now that you're here, I can go out. Maybe find some cute girls." Dad winked, and I shuddered.

"That's utterly disgusting, Dad. How old are you?"

He chuckled. "I'm twenty-eight. I have been for a long time, at least a couple of years."

I shook my head, while Dad walked out.

For a few minutes, I tried staying at the house. But, it was too quiet and I didn't really want to think about what I was getting into.

Walking into my room, I picked up a book that I had been reading and opened the window. I stepped out onto the fire escape and slid the ladder down. It clanged at the bottom, and I hopped down, onto the street. Book in hand, I casually strolled down the street, into the park. I found my favorite tree: a tall oak that provided the perfect amount of shade during the summer and plenty of leaf jumping in the fall. Sitting down, I opened my book and started reading. It was rather uninteresting, something about a teen with mythological ancestry and, as a result, hydro-kinesis. It was too predictable, with an unoriginal anticlimactic ending. Eventually, I dozed off.

"HIKARI AOJU, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Imagine having to wake up to that. My eyes fluttered open, and I realized that I had been asleep for at least two hours.

Chiyo was standing over me. She didn't look happy.

"Nice to see you, too," I responded crankily.

"Oh, sorry, did I wake you?" I nodded. "Good. You disappear on Akira and I. You just poof, running off. And, did we get a single notice? A text? Anything? NO!"

"Akira and me," I answered. She looked confused. "You said 'Akira and I', but it should have been 'Akira and me'."

She looked upset at my response. "Wow, Hikari, just wow. You know what, the next time you feel like leaving, don't come back."

Chiyo turned and walked away. I just sat there, trying to understand what I did wrong.

_All I did was make a simple correction. Was that the wrong thing to say?_

"Hey, you with the book." I looked up. A girl was standing above me. I said nothing.

"Move, this is my tree," she stated.

I chuckled, "I'm sorry, but you don't own the tree. Besides, I was here first."

She got in my face, "Who do you think you are?"

I raised my eye, bemused. "My name is Hikari. Nice to meet you. What's your name?"

She moved back, sitting down. "My name is Kurami. Now, move."

I shook my head, "Sorry, can't do that. You see, I have this disorder that attaches me to trees. If you want to move me, you'll have to chop down this tree. But, that would mean that you would lose your favorite tree. So, I suppose you'll have to find another tree."

The girl, Kurami, looked angry, "Stop trying to confusing me, and just move! Goodness, I'll bite your head off if you don't move."

I laughed, which didn't help. "Why do you want this tree? There are a bunch of other kinds of trees in this park, why don't you go pick one of those?"

She shook her head, "Because, if I was there, I wouldn't be here. This is my tree, and you are trespassing. That gives me full right to kick you out. And, if you resist, I'll just beat you up. After all, I'm bigger than you."

I questioned that, and stood up. "We're the same height!"

"No, I'm taller."

"Oh, come on, that's not true. My hair gives me an extra couple of inches."

"You mean that girly poof in the back? I was trying to ignore that."

"It's not a poof! It's a… wolf-tail."

She smirked, "Looks like a poof to me."

Over the years, people have always given me grief over my hair. First, they thought that I had bleached it. I decided to pull it back to bring less attention, but then people thought I was a girl.

"Oh, well, look at you. Reading – what is that, Naruto? What a nerd, who reads that stuff anymore? I read actual books." I said snidely.

"You know what? I'm gonna pummel you!" I hopped up and stepped back, only to realize that my back was to the tree. There was no 'Flight' option here, I had to stand my ground. I pulled an even, defensive stance.

"You won't bully me," I stated evenly.

She looked irritated, "I'm not a bully, I just want what is honestly mine."

Kurami attacked. I used a tree branch to hang from, evading the potential blow. I dropped onto her shoulder and jumped back. Then, she charged again. I slid underneath her fist, but got hit by a swinging foot. I stumbled back, hitting the trunk of the tree. My vision went hazy.

I shook my head clear, but had to drop to the floor immediately, because I saw a fist flying my way. My elbow went out, hitting Kurami in the stomach.

"Give it up," I said. "This is pointless."

She said nothing, but again tried to hit me. I moved behind the tree and we engaged in a game of shadows. Kurami tried to find me by stealthily circumnavigating the trunk of the tree. When she didn't see me around the tree, she looked up. I was relaxing in a branch, reading my book.

"Why didn't I think of this before?" I asked rhetorically. "We can just share the tree. I'll take the top, and you can take the bottom."

She raised an eyebrow, "Are you trying to trick me?"

I shook my head, "Nope, I'm just gonna chill up here. If you don't trust me, then you can go, and I'll keep the whole tree to myself."

Kurami chuckled, "Alright, fine. I'll chill here."

We sat in silence for a while.

"So what'cha reading?" Kurami asked quietly.

I glanced down, wondering what she was getting at.

"Oh, it's not anything special. Here, check it out." I dropped my book to her.

"This book is good, I liked it."

"Well, I prefer mysteries. They make me think, not only about the ending, but how the villain could have completed his task better."

She threw the book back up to me and we sat in silence for a while longer.

Finally, after I had read threw the book more than five times, I jumped down.

"Hey, Kurami I-" I looked down at where she was. Kurami was sleeping. Instead of waking her up or staring like a creeper, I ran, got a blanket, and covered her up.

_Hopefully, there aren't any weird people out here today._

"Hikari?" I turned around and saw Kori.

"Oh, hey Kori. This is Kurami." I saw her expression, and then tried to clear things up. "We were arguing over who got the tree, but then compromised, but then she fell asleep, but then I got a blanket, but then you showed up, and now this is kinda awkward, isn't it."

She laughed, "Yeah, it is. You should probably wake her up and take her home."

I shook Kurami, and she punched me in the face. After the initial shock, she eventually stood up.

"I was sleeping, why'd you wake me?"

What did I expect? I expected, 'Thank you, Hikari. I'm so glad that you saved me' or something close to that.

"Well, I didn't want you sleeping here, all unguarded and whatnot. So, Kori here thought that I should wake you and take you home. Where do you live?"

She looked at Kori, who smiled. "Nice to meet you."

Kurami just stared. Finally, she said, "Hikari, you know this girl?" I nodded.

"Kori. Kori Kuchiki, I haven't seen you in a long time."

I was excited that there was no animosity. We followed Kurami.

"So, how do you know Kori?" I asked, trying to break the awkward silence that had formed. We turned into an empty street.

"We went to the Academy together. I moved away, though, and we've never spoken since. I'm glad that I've found you, though. Now, I can finish it."

I wondered what "it" was, when I was suddenly pulled out of my body. I was standing in my Shinigami uniform, Tenshi sheathed behind my right shoulder.

"What's going on? Why am I in my Shinigami form?"

Kori was next to me, in her Shinigami outfit, wearing a red glove.

"I brought you out with my Soul Glove. This girl is an enemy! She abandoned Soul Society a few years ago, she's really powerful."

_And I thought that I was getting a break…_

**_Author Note: _There we go! Please insert comments in the review section, or just review period. A new chapter will be up soon (within the week). I'll try to post more often, though, so don't give up! The journey has just begun.**


	6. Chapter 6: Cue Kurami

**Chapter Six: Cue Kurami**

"Wait, you're… WHAT?" I exclaimed. To recap the last chapter, I got a break from Shinigami stuff for maybe a half-day. Now, I'm in the middle of two girls, who obviously don't like each other: Kori and Kurami. It's not very safe.

"Yes, I defected from Soul Society. It's too rigid and strict and dumb. I can't follow orders from someone in a system I despise. It's not like I had any say in anything, so I ran away. Here's a nugget of info for you, Hikari: Once you're in the Seireitei, you can't just quit. You either die or retire, and there was no way that I was going to be in an oppressive system for that long."

I was a bit surprised, but I remembered Urahara's reason for not going back.

_It's too rigid and strict. That's what Urahara said, too._

"Don't listen to her, Hikari! The Gotei 13 is a good organization, trustworthy and just. It's an honor to be a part of it!" Kori tried to convince me.

Kurami charged at Kori. Kori blocked, and pushed her back. Kori swung her sword and Kurami blocked. They locked blades, each trying to get leverage and overpower the other. I just stood there, confused.

_Rigid and strict? That's what Kurami AND Urahara told me about Soul Society. Do I really want to be affiliated with a group like that? But, Kori is a part of Soul Society, so it can't be terrible. I don't know!_

While I was arguing with myself, it seemed like Kurami had the upper hand, pushing Kori on the defensive.

"This has been fun, but I have to end this," Kurami stated. "Freeze up, Rinhi!"

There was the clichéd bright flash of light, and she emerged with a sword of ice. Not a blade with something simple, like icicles or something. No, it was just a collection of ice in a blade-like fashion. She also gained some cool, fingerless gloves. They had strange symbols that I couldn't read. The one on her left hand was glowing light blue, while the other, on her right, was black.

Kori looked worried, and then confident. "Alright, two can play at this game. Ice, rain down from heaven, Daiyamondo!"

Another flash (the flashes are way too common, aren't they?) and Kori came out with a thinner sword than she originally had. It still had the diamond for a tsuba, but it had four points, like a star. Her hands… They were blue, like they were frozen to the sword. I then realized that they _were_.

Kori shouted, "1st Dance: Kyusoku Toketsu!" She stabbed her blade to the ground, and froze Kurami's feet to the ground.

"That won't stop me. Aisupanchi!" Kurami aimed her sword, and an icy fist shot out. Kori tried blocking with her sword, but it knocked her back onto the ground. She quickly jumped back up and ran to where Kurami was trying to break the ice locking her position.

Kurami brought up her sword just in time to block Kori's blade from slicing her in two. It was a powerful clash with neither side getting an advantage.

Kori smiled, "1st Dance: Kyusoku Toketsu." The ice crawled from Kori's hands, to her sword, then to Kurami's sword. Kurami moved back, away from Kori, but it was too late. The frozen water quickly moved to her shoulders, then expanded and locked up her entire arms. Effectively, Kurami was locked up by ice.

Kori backed up, "You say that Soul Society is such a terrible place, but you will learn the error of your ways. Take THIS!" She swung in a huge arc aimed towards Kurami's neck.

_What? No, it can't be like this! Taking a life? It's just… wrong! She's defenseless, too!_

Before my head could catch up, my body had moved and blocked Kori's killing blow.

"What are you doing, Hikari?" Kori asked, shocked. "Let me end this traitor once and for all!"

"No," I answered, "this is not the way to do it. If it's that important to you, we'll take her to the Seireitei and put her on trial."

"NO!" Kurami protested. "I can't go back there! They'll kill me! PLEASE! Just kill me instead."

I put my sword down and looked at Kori. "See, there's no need to kill her."

Kori chuckled, "Fine, but I think that's unnecessary. Kurami, you may be a traitor, but you're pretty powerful. You join this team, and I'll try to get Central 46 to loosen your sentence."

Kurami thought about it, then responded, "On one condition: One day, we're going to finish this fight."

Kori nodded, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, I'm so glad that you three are getting along!" Urahara dropped down from a nearby tree branch.

"Urahara, you planned this didn't you?" I said, understandingly.

"You're the guy that recommended me that tree to me! Who are you?" Kurami accused. I quickly pieced the scenario together.

"Urahara, you saw this coming! While I was fighting the Hollow, you told her about this tree, my tree. She loved it, and claimed it as her own. Now, you knew that she was a rogue Shinigami, but read her power and decided that she would be a really good addition to the team. So, that's why you couldn't have come into my house; my dad would have recognized you from the parade."

Urahara raised an eyebrow, "Wow, you figure all of that out by yourself? I'm impressed Hikari, you're not just an idiot with a sword. You're a smart idiot with a sword." He smiled cheerily.

Kurami was upset, "Wait, so you knew this was coming? Oh, that's not cool. I'm gonna have to go all Kurami Barrage on you."

Kori rolled her eyes. "Mister Urahara, as much as I like to bother Hikari, you went a bit overboard for just a prank. What's your ulterior motive? What is so dangerous that we need a traitor to help us with our journey?" Kurami gave her a deadly gaze, but Kori wasn't even looking that way.

"You all are going to be extremely important in the future. You're going to depend on each other, need each other." The conversation had dropped to a level of seriousness that I didn't see coming.

"So," Kurami began, "what is the sinister evil that is going to be plaguing the nation?"

Urahara coughed, "Well, we don't really know what it is. All I know is that a lot of Rukongai citizens have been disappearing, along with low-level Shinigami. It's been massive, and people are starting to panic. The Gotei 13 is doing all that they can, but there is only so much they can do under law. They can't go everywhere…"

He stopped and looked at me.

"So, you want us to do what the massive Gotei 13 and all of its resources have not been able to do? How, there are only three of us?"

He looked at us carefully. "You three are much more powerful than you know. Trust me, by the end of this journey, you three will be more powerful than anything Soul Society has ever seen. But," he brought out his fan and covered his face with it, "I can't stay. It's Saturday evening, and I have much more important things to do than attempting to save the world as we know it." He dashed away, leaving us standing there.

"So…" one of us said. It was extremely hard to say anything after that… prophetic.

"Um, what do we do now?" I asked quietly.

Nobody answered.

"How about some training?" I suggested halfheartedly. "We can never be without too much of that."

"No, Hikari," said Kurami, who was still frozen in place. "Since I still CAN'T MOVE it'll be kinda hard to train. And, I think that we've had enough fighting for today. We should do something fun! Sorry, Kori, I forgot about your hatred of fun, so I guess that's out of the picture."

I laughed, but tried to muffle it.

"Hey, I'm fun!" Kori protested. "You're the one that's frozen in a block of ice. What do you think we should do, Hikari?"

_Why do people always ask me what to do? Just like… Chiyo and Akira._

I realized that I still had something to do. I dashed off, leaving Kori and Kurami shouting at me, wondering what I was doing. Turning on the street, I hoped over a quickly oncoming car, and kept running. I got to my street and found Akira's house. I hoped that they would both be there, so I could apologize for being a jerk.

I hopped over all of the steps to his house and rang the doorbell. As I attempted to catch my breath, I tried to listen for the ever-constant footsteps coming down the stairs. But, nothing came, so I rang the bell again. Nothing.

After sitting there for a bit, I noticed that the car was in the driveway. I checked the doorknob. It was open.

"Hello?" I asked stupidly.

_Yeah, Hikari, whoever's in here is going to say "Hey, Hikari! I'm in the kitchen, want a sandwich?"_

"Hikari, I'm in the kitchen. Do you want something to eat?" So close, so close.

I walked into the kitchen and saw someone who definitely wasn't Akira. I stepped away, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Akira?" I asked. This guy was definitely my age, about my height. He looked a lot cooler than I did, but I didn't want to say anything about that.

"Oh, Hikari, if I told you that, it wouldn't be half as fun. You'll have to figure it out, or the game will become boring."

"Game? What are you talking about? And, how do you know my name? Who are you?"

He frowned, "Hikari, you already asked that question. Now, if our relationship is going to be mutual, then you have to be able to listen to me."

"Okay, I'm confused. You look like a suave teen businessperson, seem like a sociopathic nutcase, but talk like a… sociopathic nutcase. Did you lose a parent or get abused as a kid? Those tend to be the two major causes of insanity."

He chuckled, "Oh, that's such a smart way to play it, Hikari. You're trying to play me, get me to reveal my past, maybe figure out who I am. But, I'm the one in charge, you'll have to listen to me."

I decided to toy with him, try and get him to crack. "Ah, authority issues. You must have an inferiority complex, while having a superiority complex. There are probably some mommy issues. If you could tell me where my friend is, I could help you get some help. My dad is a psychiatrist; he could help you."

I could tell that I had touched a nerve. A scar, running down his right eye, began to emerge, and the air became dense. If I didn't know before, I definitely knew now that this guy was a Shinigami of some sort. His reiatsu felt different from all of the other Shinigami that I had felt. Theirs felt very tight-knit and dense, while this guy's reiatsu was very flowy and loose. It seemed rejuvenating, but extremely deadly and dangerous at the same time, like a doctor with a butcher knife, randomly hacking at every single nerve cluster. It made me anxious, but I couldn't show fear, it would have given him confidence. And, that would give him the power and I couldn't let him think that he had control over me. If he was angry, then he would make mistakes that I could capitalize on. Either that or he would kill his victim in rage. Unfortunately, his victim was my best friend, so I had to try and find some sort of balance.

I didn't stop speaking, though. "So, mister – can I call you mister? Or do you have some sort of title? – are you here for a specific reason?"

He regained his composure quickly, once again seeming regal and powerful. The creepy visitor seemed to have two sides to him. The dominant, that was suave and in-control, and the recessive, the one that only came out in times of trouble and was extremely dangerous and violent.

"I'm here to warn you: If you interfere with the goals of the organization, then we will have to kill your loved ones. Chiyo, Akira, your father, Kedakai, Temari, et cetera, et cetera."

"If you touch any of those people, I will take your head and put it on a stake, like Macbeth. I swear, you won't know what hit you."

The teen chuckled, "Don't worry, they will stay safe as long as you stay away from the organization."

I was slightly confused, "I'm sorry, I don't know the name of your organization. What if I accidently try to bring it down, not knowing that it's yours?"

"Well, then I might have to accidently kill your loved ones. But, just to make sure that you understand, I will at least tell you my name."

He paused, probably thinking about whether telling me was a good idea.

"You might as well tell me. It's not like I'm powerful enough to stop you or anything," I goaded, trying to play on his presumed pride.

"I suppose that it won't hurt. My name is Waru. It has been nice to speak with you, but I have to go. Places to go, people to see, worlds to dominate. Goodbye, Hikari, _you_ should hope that we never meet again."

He walked past me and stepped out of the house. I followed him, but the door was locked from the outside. I struggled with the knob, while the door began to heat up. The entire house began to hum softly, getting louder and higher pitched. I had to cover my ears and hit the floor. The entire house was shaking violently, dishes were crashing, and the hum had turned into a shrill scream.

Then, everything just stopped. There was dead silence, as if nothing had happened. I looked around, trying to see if any broken china had fallen on me. But, it was as clean as when I had walked in.

Footsteps came down the upper floor's stairs and I jumped. Then, making sure no one saw that mishap, I prepared myself for whoever was there.

"I'm coming!" The familiar voice called. "Oh, Hikari, how'd you get in? Did you steal my key again?" Akira asked, confused.

_I can't tell him the truth, he'd never believe me._

"Don't worry, I didn't steal anything," I said honestly. "Your door was open, so I stepped in. Sorry, I should've waited, but I wanted to apologize."

Akira looked shocked. "I remember locking the door… But, what did you want to apologize about?"

I shuffled nervously, "Um, I'm sorry that I ran out on you yesterday. I remembered that I had to go do something, and I kinda forgot about the parade."

He frowned, "Oh, right. I completely forgot about that. How DARE you leave me and Chiyo at the fireworks all alone?"

I stood there, extremely shocked. There was a moment of utter silence, with Akira looking overly upset. The sides of his mouth twitched, and soon we were both cracking up, hysterical. We eventually calmed down, but were both out of breath.

"It's okay, man," he said between breaths. "Chiyo and I were fine."

I looked at him suspiciously. "Mmhmm, I bet you were just fine together. Alone, without a supervisor. What would your dad say?"

He chuckled, looking sheepish, "My dad said, 'As long as you don't come home with any small children, I'm alright', so why don't you just take his approach and not worry about what happened?"

I feigned being appalled, "Who are you to tell me what to do? I might as well walk out!" I chuckled, but then stopped suddenly.

"I have to go. Can you talk to Chiyo for me? She's kinda mad at me." He nodded, and I walked out of his house. I waved behind me as I walked away. I realized that the sun was setting, so I ran to the one place where I knew I could get help and answers.

The Urahara Shop


	7. Chapter 7: Cue Organization

**Chapter Seven: Cue Organization**

_Kurami_

I was relaxing, trying to take a nap. My music was playing softly in my headphones, and I was just about to dose off when Hikari came bursting through the door like a madman on a mission. I tried to greet him, but he just walked past me without even acknowledging me. I was too tired to attempt to stop him. I was annoyed with myself, though, for losing to that uptight monkey, Kori. I was, and am, so much better than she was, but I was extremely disappointed with myself.

_Why am I down in the dumps? I should be trying to get better!_

I jumped up quickly, unplugged my MP3, and ran down to the training ground. Going down the lift, I planned in my mind what I would do. I would ask Urahara to help me train and hopefully, I would be able to beat that lame-o. There was some sort of argument going on and, when the elevator doors opened, I could see Urahara and Hikari shouting at each other. I just stood there, allowing the doors to close on me. They didn't even notice, the two were so into their argument.

_I'll… come back later._

_Hikari_

Immediately, after my encounter with Waru and then Akira, I rushed to the Urahara Shop. I knew that he would have the answers. He had to.

Rushing down the street, I dodged people on the sidewalk. I turned sharply, and busted into the old dilapidated shop. There are usually sixty million thoughts running through my head at one time, each connecting to each other, allowing me to further understand the situation. This time, though, there was only one thing. Floating around in the imaginary jelly of my mind, the only thought was how I could beat Waru to a bloody pulp, while keeping my loved ones alive.

I slowed down when I entered the facility itself, but was still fixated on finding answers. I remember hearing someone greet me, but I didn't actually _hear_ it, if that makes any sense. Instead of taking the easier elevator, I decided to take the stairs. Literally jumping entire flights, I quickly made it down and saw Urahara sitting and whistling.

"Urahara! We have to go. Now. I saw this guy, Waru, and he is threatening my friends and family. He said something about an organization. This is what you've been talking about. This is our moment to take him down. But, we have to act now."

Urahara looked up, "Calm down, Hikari. Tell me what happened, and I'll discuss it with Soul Society."

I was impatient, "Did you not hear the part about lives being at stake? We need to go after him while the trail is still hot and before his plans come to fruition."

He tried to slow me down, "Hikari, just tell me what happened and I swear that I'll do my best to try and catch him."

My frustration began to bubble up. "Where are Kori and Kurami? I don't have time right now to talk to you, I have to chase after this guy! Why can't you get that?"

He stood up, eyes dark. "I completely understand, but, unlike you at this moment, I see that the encounter, whatever it was, is meant to bait you. Right now, he wants you to go after him. That's how all kidnappers and crazies are. They want the power, and they'd love to see you squirm. Don't give him the satisfaction of seeing you in pain."

I knew that he was right, but I couldn't take sitting and doing nothing.

"So, what? Are we just supposed to sit around here and do nothing? What good will that do? It'll just give the enemy more time to think of a plan to eliminate them by themselves."

The elevator dinged, but I didn't pay any attention to it. I was waiting for a response.

"You are going to go in and die, do you know that? Is that what you want? For them to kill you, and then kill everyone else? Because, that is what's going to happen."

I started pacing up and down, trying to figure out a way to respond to that. I came up empty.

"Urahara is correct, Hikari." We both turned to see a figure in the shadows. I could tell that he was tall, with spiky hair.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" I called.

Urahara chuckled, "Yeah, Ichigo. It's impolite to listen in on others' conversations without them knowing."

The man stepped out from the shadow, and I instantly recognized him from Kori's picture. He was the Head Captain of the Gotei 13, Ichigo Kurosaki. His giant sword was draped on his back, covered in long cloth. It made my own sword look tiny, even though mine was still fairly large.

"Urahara, after all that we've been through, you have no room to speak. But, I'm not here to argue with you about that. Hikari is who I'm here for. I've seen you in action and you remind me of myself. I would like to take you to Seireitei and train you. That way, you can be prepared for the worst when _they_ come back."

The emphasis made me believe that he knew something about this mystery organization.

"Who is they?" I said, cringing at my own grammar.

"All will be explained in due time. But, right now, we need to be leaving." Another vague answer. I wasn't focused on that, though.

"I need to bring some people with me," I told Ichigo. "They are going to need some training, too."

He thought about and shrugged, "Sure, the more the better. Just bring them back here before the end of the day and we'll be fine."

With that, I ran to the elevator. I mentally thanked Kurosaki for giving me the opportunity to train with him. When the elevator, I ran out and tried to find Kori. However, when I ran out, I saw Kurami training outside the shop. She was aggressive, like this was making up for something. She had her Shikai activated, and was trying to coordinate attacks with her ice-fist against an imaginary enemy. I had a feeling like I knew who she was practicing against, but I didn't say anything. I just watched.

Kurami lashed out with her sword, while the fist came from the side. She then spun around and sliced up with her sword. The fist came out of nowhere, swiping through the air.

She then stopped and reverted her sword back to its original form. I didn't know that it was possible, to revert your sword back. I mean, since I had activated Tenshi's actual power, I had never had to revert it back.

And, I couldn't try it, because I was in my human body. I had been ever since my fight with Urahara; he put me back. I wasn't sure of the method, because I was pretty hyped up on adrenaline. So, I just watched as she spoke to herself.

"That was too slow, I need to speed up. I'll never hit her being that slow, it's not right. I should be better."

I coughed, revealing my presence. She spun around quickly, embarrassed that anyone had spotted her.

"Oh, Hikari, what are you doing here?" she asked, slightly flustered.

"Well, I was just chatting with Urahara and Ichigo Kurosaki came. He wanted to train me, but I wanted to take you and Kori with me. So, what do you think? Do you want to go to Soul Society and train?"

I wasn't sure what her response would be. The trip would be a mixture of Kurami's two least favorite things: Soul Society and Kori Kuchiki.

But, she smiled slyly, "Sure, I was just thinking about that. I need some assistance with something, and the person that I want is in Soul Society."

My interested was piqued, "Who are you talking about?"

"You'll just have wait and find out, now won't you?"

I laughed, "Alright, well, stay here and I'll be back with Kori. I think that I know what she's doing."

Looking around, I saw a bicycle lying near the shop. I picked it up and hopped on.

_I am not running again. I've done enough running for one day._

I biked down the sidewalk, yelling at people to move out of my way. The way easily split for me, and I gained speed. I pedaled as fast as I could, noting the setting of the sun. I spotted her, and turned sharply. A little too much and the bike began to lose traction. Before it could completely total, I jumped off.

Kori looked bemused, "What was that?"

I didn't have time for jokes. I quickly explained what had happened, and the situation with Ichigo.

"Head Captain Kurosaki is here, wanted to train you, and you told him to WAIT?" She shouted at me, like it was my fault that she was all the way out here, and I decided to be nice for once.

"Yes, I did. Now, are you coming or not? We have until sunset, which is about…" I looked around, checking the sun. "It's right about now."

Kori freaked out, "How are we supposed to get there in time? We can't run all of the way back, and your bike is ruined! Hikari, why didn't you think through this?"

I rolled my eyes and started running. I was utterly exhausted, but I wanted to make it back. I felt surer of this than I had anything; I had to get back to Urahara's shop.

Running on fumes, I made it half-way there before I realized that I was about to pass out. But, I kept pushing myself. There was no way that I wouldn't make it. Running even faster, I soon learned that my legs were turning into mush. I fell to the ground, completely out of energy.

Arms pulled grabbed me from the side, keeping me from hitting the pavement. I looked up and saw Kori yanking me up, trying to help.

"What have you been eating?" she complained. I stood up, grinning. We dashed off, together. I was reinvigorated, knowing that I had support. We turned onto Urahara's street, and saw Kurami. When she saw us, she leaped up and ran with us. The three of us crashed through the door, and raced down the stairs, not being able to take the time to wait for the elevator.

By the time we got to the bottom of the stairs, I was pretty ready to give up and die. But, I knew that it wasn't an option. If I died, who could protect Akira? Who would protect Chiyo? Or Temari, who would save her? There was no one; it was just a necessity that I stay alive.

Urahara looked at me, and tossed me a pill.

"Swallow it, you'll feel better," he told me. I swallowed it, and it tasted utterly disgusting. It took everything I had not to throw up. Fortunately, the pill stayed down. Warmth spread throughout my entire body, and I instantly felt better. I was standing straighter, feeling like I had just taken a leisurely stroll down the park instead of run back and forth all day.

"Just in time, you guys. Now, are you three ready? Wait, Hikari, you need to be in your Shinigami form." Kurosaki said quickly.

Kori hit me in the forehead with her palm. "Oh, wait, I need my Soul Glove, don't I?" She smiled slyly, then put her Soul Glove on and hit me in the face with it. I fell back, and my human body hit the ground.

"Nice sword, Hikari," Ichigo noted. I snorted, showing indifference. In reality, I couldn't be more amazed that the Head Captain of the entire Gotei 13 gave me a complement.

"Let's get this show on the road," Kurami said, impatient.

Urahara clapped his hands together, drawing attention. He waved his arm out, showing the way out. It was a large, wooden doorway, but it was missing the door.

"Welcome to the Senkaimon! Ichigo, doesn't this bring back memories?"

Kurosaki didn't look happy. "Yeah, I remember running for my life, attacking other Shinigami, training non-stop, almost dying multiple times, losing my powers, gaining them again…" He trailed off. I wondered what he was talking about, but I decided against asking.

"Well, why are we just standing here?" Kurami asked. "Let's go!"

"First, a few rules: Don't touch the walls of the Dangai, don't let the Soketsu catch you, and don't use any Zanpakuto abilities. Everybody got that?" Everyone nodded, but I raised my hand. Urahara acknowledged me and I asked my question.

"What's the Dangai and what is a Soketsu?" I asked bewildered.

"It's hard to remember that you've only been a Shinigami for about a day and a half, Hikari," Kori piped up. "The Dangai is the passage between Soul Society and the Human World. Time is distorted in there, but the Soketsu polices the area, so people don't take advantage of it."

Urahara continued the thought, "We used to send people in, hoping that they would come out relatively close to the time that they went in. Now, though, we can temporarily stop the flow of time in the Dangai, so you will come out at the exact same moment that you jump in."

I nodded, kind of understanding. It was too scientific for me, so I just accepted it.

Ichigo patted me on the back. "Just keep running straight, try not to touch anything, and you should be perfectly fine. Fire it up, Urahara!"

Urahara looked at us like what he was about to do was top secret. I groaned, and turned around. Kori and Kurami followed suit, spinning around and facing away.

"Be glad," he said, "this process used to take a week, but some genius that I have absolutely no affiliation with discovered a way to quickly activate it." A few moments of silence, then some static-sounding noise, and Urahara shouted, "Okay, turn around."

We looked and saw the portal. I looked at my new allies, and we all nodded in silent agreement. Leaping through, it felt like I was being squished into nothing.

I hit the ground hard, but took off running. I saw that I was behind everyone else, who were almost by the exit. The exit was bright and shimmering, but a few tall buildings could be made out, dwarfed by the giant blue sky that spread its wings out across the horizon. I looked back, and saw a large black slug-like Cyclops, its single eye bright and golden. Seeing that it was obviously chasing me, I frenzied faster, realizing that it would probably eat me.

_Why is it so fast? You'd think that something so dangerous would be slightly pickier about what it eats. I mean, I'm probably all bony, and I doubt that it likes intestines… Ew_

While I was thinking this, the Soketsu kept catching up with me. It was literally right behind me. I was running as fast as possible, when I had a thought about turning around and just slicing the thing in two. I stopped and faced the thing, when I realized how foolish I was.

_Wait, didn't Kisuke say something about that? Something slightly vague, like "don't use any Zanpakuto abilities"? Dang it, there goes that plan. _

At the literal last minute, right when I was saying my last words (I must say, they were quite heroic and dramatic), I heard a loud feminine voice.

"Senten Kesshun, I reject!" A large, triangular shield formed in front of me, which blocked the Soketsu from devouring me. The impact pushed me back slightly, and I stood there, wondering what the shield was made out of.

"Come on, Hikari, let's go!" The girl snapped me to action. I turned around, seeing only the shadow of a person. I ran and ran and ran, until I was at the edge, where I was face to face with my rescuer: An extremely buxom tall girl with burnt-orange hair and a bright smile. She nudged her head forward and followed behind as I leaped into the bright light that was Soul Society.

While we dropped, I tried to start a conversation. "Thanks for saving me… Um, what's your name?" I shouted over the sound of rushing wind.

She smiled, "I'm Orihime Inoue, and it's nice to meet you."

"My name is Hikari Aoju," I replied loudly, "and I have a question."

"What is it?" Orihime asked.

"We're falling at a terminal velocity, and, if we hit the ground, won't we die anyway?"

She laughed, which, surprisingly, I did not take offense to. "Trust me, Hikari, I've done this before. By the way, the others are waiting down there. Do you want to go any faster?"

"Sure, I can do that, Ms. Inoue," I said politely.

She giggled, "Just call me Orihime, Hikari. Let's go, though. It doesn't look too good down there."

I looked over to where Orihime was looking and saw what looked to be little black dots running quickly to other little black dots. It seemed like something was going down, and I was pretty sure that they weren't meeting for tea.

"Are Ichigo and the others over there?" She nodded. "Do you know a way to bounce us over there?"

She waved out her hands, "Shiten Kesshun, I reject!" Another, different shaped shield appeared and we both hit it. I thought nothing was going to happen, when the golden, translucent shield pushed back. We went sailing through the air. I was actually enjoying myself, despite the dangerous situation.

A few more golden shields later, we safely landed on the ground, albeit a few yards off. I thanked Orihime, and ran off. She didn't follow, which made sense. It seemed like her power wasn't made for attack.

I ran to the conflict, where I saw Kori and Kurami. They were engaged in battle, but quickly dispatched their opponents. The two of them saw me, and ran over.

Kurami hit me, "What took you so long!"

"OW!" I shouted. "Sorry, I was a bit held up in the Dangai. But, I'm here now. What's going on?"

"I'm not sure," Kori said, "but it's strange. Our opponents seem like real live Shinigami, but their reiatsu… All of them have the same reiatsu. But, they're very low-level, so I don't know what's going on."

I looked at them strangely, completely baffled. But, I didn't have time to come up with a solution, though. The enemy forces were moving forward.

"Alright guys, I have an idea. How many are there?" I was curious, because my plan really depended on that.

Kurami hesitated slightly, "Well, that's the thing. These guys don't feel any sort of pain. They just keep going. But, they aren't mindless zombies, more like mind-controlled. But, there are about two hundred of them."

_Crap, that's not good._

"Okay, fine. Here's my plan…"

I told them my plan, through multiple protests from Kori and Kurami.

"That's too dangerous! We'll tire out too quickly," Kori said.

Kurami agreed, "I usually don't like what Kori says, but she's right. You'll get sliced into a bunch of tiny little Hikari-cutlets!"

I shrugged, "It'll be fine. I mean, I've only been a Shinigami for a few days, I think that I'll be fine."

I took out Tenshi from my back and was about to run forward, when I remembered a question that I wanted to know.

"Tenshi is still in its Shikai form," I began. "Why is that?"

Kurami scratched her head, but Kori piped up, "It's usually a sign that you have a bunch of power, but can't control it. Don't worry about it, it's not that big of a deal."

Smiling, I turned around and started towards the action.

I called over my shoulder, "Are you guys coming? We've got a plan to commence."

They groaned, but I ignored the two of them, running forward. Kurami ran with me, Rinhi already in Shikai. I nodded at her, and she grinned devilishly.

"Let's beat down some rebels!" she said empirically. I laughed at the irony and we stopped, standing back-to-back.

The swarm came from all directions, but they didn't faze me. I couldn't sense their reiatsu, but that seemed like a recurring pattern. If I wanted to sense someone's Spiritual Pressure, I had to stop and focus. But, there wasn't time for that, so I just assumed that they were pretty weak.

I started slashing through the weak Shinigami, hoping that my simple plan would work. My pattern was simple: Block, sweep the enemy's feet, block, sweep the enemy's feet, get (and give) help from Kurami, repeat. It was really boring, but necessary if my plan was to work. I guarded against the Shinigami in front of me, and swiped behind me. The enemies were coming faster than they did at first, which frustrated me.

_Why couldn't they have come this fast at the beginning? Luring me into a false sense of security…_

"What's wrong, Hikari? Is the poor baby tired?" Kurami taunted.

I gritted my teeth, "Yeah, like that would happen. Let's see who can bring down the most of these fools."

She laughed and agreed, "Sure, starting… NOW!"

After a while, I could hear Kurami counting. "10, 11, 12, 13…"

"Is that all you're at? 19, 20, 21, 22, 23…" I said, over the sound of constantly falling Shinigami.

I could tell that she was irritated, but I had to keep my count up.

"You know what? Let's add to the count, Aisupanchi!"

She swung her sword and the ice fist punched in a sweeping horizontal arc, knocking a bunch of enemies down.

In a tangent, I'm hoping that you're wondering why I haven't tried to go for the jugular and start a casualty list. It may also be important to know how none of the slightly incapacitated mind-controlled zombie-like Shinigami have gotten up.

"Hey! Kori!" I shouted back to her. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm holding on!" Kori yelled back. "Why did I have to get the difficult job?"

"That's because we enjoy messing with you!" Kurami shouted.

Kori had a very simple, but very important part of the plan. She was to use Daiyamondo's First Dance, Kyusoku Toketsu, and freeze the falling combatants.

That made our job so much easier, but was really draining on Kori. If the battle was to continue any longer, and nothing spectacularwas to happen, then it was obvious that Kori would, at the best, faint. Fortunately, something rather strange happened. All of the enemies simply stopped functioning. Their eyes glowed green. They began to look vaguely familiar, kinda regal, like someone I had seen before. I couldn't place it, when they spoke in perfect unison.

"Hello, Hikari, nice to see you again. It's unfortunate that you've forgotten our deal."

I instantly recognized the voice, but Kurami spoke first.

"Who are you? What are you talking about?"

The laugh that followed echoed all around me, as the Shinigami that had been frozen began to thaw out. I realized that Kori was completely out of energy, and the effects of her Zanpakuto were fading.

"My name is Waru," the voices said together. "I'm surprised, Hikari. You haven't even mentioned me to your team. And, you've disobeyed me, Hikari. I explicitly told you not to attempt to interrupt my affairs, and you have done just that. It's a shame, actually, because now I will have to eliminate our very simple agreement. Goodbye Hikari, I hope for your sake that we don't meet. If we do, you probably won't be able to tell your kids about it."

I snarled at his threats.

"Ta ta, Hikari, it's been nice speaking you!" With that, all of the bodies fell to the ground.

A few seconds of silence, then Kurami violently broke the silence. She slapped me upside the head.

"What in the world was that about, Hikari?"

I sighed, "Well, when I went to talk to Akira, he wasn't there. But, Waru was. He's a rather suave-looking sociopath, with a bit of a crazy side. He threatened to kill Akira and everyone else if I interrupted his organization's plans, which I just did apparently."

"We have to do something about this," Kori said quickly. "Let's get to the Seireitei, that's where Captain Kurosaki is, he can help us."

Since there was no other plausible plot of action, that's where we did. When I was face-to-face with Ichigo, I retold the entire story.

"Waru is his name?" Ichigo asked. I nodded. "Well, this is very bad. Waru Saisei is the leader of a renegade Shinigami faction, known as Organization 42."


	8. Chapter 8: Cue Tsubasa

**Chapter Eight: Cue Tsubasa**

"_Waru Saisei is the leader of a renegade Shinigami faction, known as Organization 42."_

I wasn't too surprised at the fact. Waru seemed like the type of person to have followers. There are only two types of people: leaders and followers, or that's what my dad likes to say.

"So, that only gives us one option. We need to protect Nova Karakura. Why don't you use some of your lackeys to do that?" Kurami said rudely. Ichigo completely ignored her.

"Well, I guess that the only option for us to do, in order to protect Nova Karakura, is to send some members of the Gotei 13."

Kurami protested, but I calmed her down.

"Alright, but I want to go with, and make sure these guys aren't traitors."

"You can't do that Hikari," Kori said. "You've got training to do with Captain Kurosaki, remember?"

I rolled my eyes, "Alright, but I want to talk to the people who you send. And, either Kori or Kurami need to be a part of that unit."

Ichigo waited a moment, and then answered, "Fine, I think that will work."

Kori volunteered to go with, and instantly we were on our way to find suitable members of the protection task-force. I say "we", but, in all honesty, Kori, Kurami, and I had to wait in the Head-Captain's office, while Ichigo sent out phone calls to various people. They all waited in the lobby, and then all came in together. They looked vastly different, lined up side by side in pairs.

One had black, spiky hair and a small 69 tattoo underneath one of his eyes. He looked bored, like he had better things to do. He had a white leather jacket over his regular Shinigami outfit. The girl next to her was blond and bubbly, almost bursting with excitement.

The group consisted of two men, who looked vastly different. One was bald, with a scheming gleam in his eye. He had another, more traditional-looking jacket tied around his waist. The guy next to him was wearing a bright, colorful outfit and had a feather in his hair.

There was one more person, also in a white coat, who looked shadily similar to someone I knew. She was average height, very kind-looking, with hair that fell and shaped her face. Kori inhaled sharply, which I didn't understand. The woman smiled at Kori, but Kori didn't respond.

"Thank you all for coming," Ichigo began. "As you all know, Organization 42 just attempted a strike against the Seireitei. It was contained, thanks to Hikari, Kori, and Kurami."

"We already know this, Ichigo, just get to the point," the bald man interrupted. "What in the world could you have called us here for?"

"Well, Ikkaku, I was getting to that. The leader of Organization 42, Waru Saisei, has placed a death warrant on Hikari's family and friends. I want you all to stay in Nova Karakura for the next couple of weeks. Is that okay?"

They all nodded, some more excited than others.

"Alright, now Hikari is a bit cautious, so he would like to speak to each of you. In order to conserve time, Hikari, you'll talk to them in pairs."

Three of them walked out, along with Ichigo, Kurami, and Kori, and I was left with the guy with the leather jacket and the happy blond.

"Okay, what do you wanna know?" The guy with the tattoo asked.

"Um, first of all, what's with the jacket?"

The blond piped up, "It's the sign of a captain. It used to be an extremely formal coat, called a haori. Some people still prefer the traditional coat, but Captain Kurosaki is very flexible."

"Okay," I said, understanding. "So, who are you? What are your names?"

The captain spoke up first, "I'm Captain Shuhei Hisagi of Squad Nine and this is my lieutenant, Sayaka Uragiri."

Sayaka smiled, "It's nice to meet you, Hikari. You have a really feminine name."

I frowned, "I do not!"

Hisagi raised his hand, silencing the both of us. "Please don't start this. Do you have any other questions?"

I thought for a second, and then said, "Yeah, I have one more. Why did you want to become a Shinigami?"

After a bit of thinking, Hisagi answered, "I had a hero who was a Shinigami. He saved me and my friends from a Hollow attack. He was really inspirational, and I wanted to be like him."

"Okay, thanks. It's been nice to meet you both."

We shook hands, and Hisagi and Sayaka left. I kinda liked Hisagi, he seemed trustworthy. Sayaka slightly irritated me, though. She was too happy, too bubbly for my taste.

The next duo entered the door, the bald guy and his lieutenant.

"Let's make this quick. My name is Ikkaku Madarame. I'm the 11th Division captain, and this is my lieutenant, Yumichika Ayasegawa."

"Nice to meet you," I said. "So, what are your favorite things to do?"

Ikkaku answered instantly, "Fighting. I love to fight."

"I prefer to focus on my beauty," Yumichika replied.

It confused me how two completely different people could be a part of the exact same squad. But, it wasn't really my place to comment.

"Why'd you become Shinigami?" I asked them both.

Yumichika answered first, "I wanted to show the world my beauty." I wasn't sure how I felt about Yumichika. He seemed extremely strange.

Ikkaku's answer was a lot better. "I was defeated by my old captain. I thought that he was going to kill me, but he spared my life and taught me a valuable lesson. I vowed to fight under him. I thought that he was invincible, but, one day, he simply disappeared."

I understood his reasoning, and I appreciated his honesty. Ikkaku and I shook hands – Yumichika decided that I wasn't beautiful enough to touch his hands – and the Squad 11 team left.

Thinking that I was finished, I relaxed. The sudden opening of the door surprised me, and another person came in.

"Oh, hello. I'm sorry, I completely forgot that there was another captain that I was to speak to." I said, embarrassed at my bad memory.

"It's fine. I'm just the odd one out. I'm not with my lieutenant, but I'm pretty sure that you already know my daughter."

_Shinigami… Daughter… Who is she?_

"Who are you?" I asked, suspicious.

"My name is Rukia Kuchiki and I'm the captain of 13th Division."

_Kuchiki… Why does that name sound so familiar? _

"Do I know you from somewhere? You look really familiar."

Rukia laughed, "Well, I used to live in Karakura before they added the 'Nova' to it, but you know my daughter, Kori."

I stood up, shocked. "WHAT?" But, it made sense. They looked alike and had the same last name. But, they seemed completely different. Kori was really strict and "by-the-book", while Rukia seemed really relaxed.

"Yes, I know, we're nothing alike. But, we are related and she is my lieutenant."

"Alright… Anyway, what has been your greatest accomplishment?"

She laughed, "Wow, that's a hard one. Um, I think that the greatest thing I've ever done is giving Ichigo Shinigami powers. Twice."

I smiled, although still kind of in shock. "Thanks. It's been nice to meet you, Captain Kuchiki."

Her smiled faded slightly, but came back just as brightly. "Just call me Rukia, Captain Kuchiki was what people called my brother."

It seemed like something strange was going on. Rukia didn't say it, but I could tell from her expression that something had happened to Rukia's brother. It seems like captains were just randomly disappearing. But, whoever was doing this, he or she was being smart about it and taking their time.

Rukia stood up and shook my hand. She had a strange glint in her eye, as if she knew something that I didn't.

"I hope that you and my daughter get along very well. Very well."

Now, I may not be the brightest, but I could tell a hint when I saw one. My eyes widened, and I turned away, appalled at the insinuation. Rukia laughed and walked out.

_At least now I know where Kori got her irritating-ness from._

I sat down and, after a few minutes of trying to push away the implication of Rukia's statement, finally relaxed.

Just as I had begun to chill, the door opened again. I groaned loudly.

"Oh," Ichigo said, looking a bit agitated at my response, "I'm sorry, is this your office? Nope, it's mine. If you need anything for the rest of the day, one of my friends has volunteered to help you. He's waiting in the lobby, and you might not want to leave him waiting."

I walked out apprehensively, fearing whatever danger could be on the other side. The door, solid wood, was heavier than I expected, and I had some difficulty opening it. Finally, after struggling for a bit, I finally shoved it open and came face-to-face with a man wearing glasses with a stern look on his face.

"Ichigo, when is this guy supposed to get here? He was – oh, here you are."

The man stepped back, allowing me to close the door behind me and bringing him into full focus. He seemed to be wearing some sort of white outfit with blue accents. He didn't look like any Shinigami I had ever seen.

"Hi, my name is Hikari Aoju."

The man sized me up, trying to tell if I was strong. I purposely tried to look as dumb and weak as possible.

"I'm Uryu Ishida, the last Quincy. It's a pleasure to meet you."

I scratched my head, "Two things: One, you have a very strange name, and two, what in the world is a Quincy?"

Uryu frowned, "My name is strange? I'm not the one with a girl's name. And, to answer your second question, a Quincy is better than a Shinigami."

I raised an eyebrow, wondering what that meant. "That didn't answer my question. I didn't ask 'Who is better: a Quincy or a Shinigami', I asked what a Quincy is."

"No wonder Ichigo likes you," Uryu mumbled. He cleared his throat and said, "If you want to know what a Quincy is, I have someone that you may want to meet."

We walked down the hall and turned outside. He led me to a large outdoor training ground.

"Hey, Tsubasa, come out here! I've got someone that you may want to meet." I waited patiently as a teenager came out, looking irritated.

"What do you want, Uryu?" Tsubasa complained. He had black, swept, emo-esque hair that covered up his right eye. The edges were dyed red, and his clothing matched it. A black polo and jeans, with red tennis shoes. He was like the exactly opposite of Uryu. The only similarity was that they both wore the same glasses.

"Tsubasa, meet Hikari." Uryu ignored the rude comment.

He didn't look like he was happy to meet me. "Hey. What's going on, Uryu? Why'd you bring me a girl?"

"WHAT? I'm not a girl!" I yelled.

He looked at me again. "Oh, sorry dude." He turned his attention back to Uryu, "So, what is this? Why is he here?"

Uryu coughed, "I brought Hikari here to show him a Quincy, but I guess that I've come to the wrong place."

"No," Tsubasa said quickly, "don't even try and pull that. I am the greatest Quincy that this world has ever seen. Shinigami," he reverted his attention back to me, "you do not have a chance to defeat me. It simply is not justifiably possible."

Uryu raised an eyebrow, "Who said anything about fighting? You aren't possibly powerful enough to defeat this Shinigami, Tsubasa. You will need years and years of practice to defeat a Shinigami as powerful as Hikari."

I knew where this was going. It was simple reverse-psychology – my dad uses it on me all the time – and Tsubasa was falling for it really easily.

"You dare doubt my ability?" Tsubasa exclaimed.

I spoke up, tired of the ridiculous banter. "Hello?" Everyone focused on me. "Are we going to fight or are we just going to stand here?"

Uryu chuckled, "Wow, you two are similar." He spoke louder, "Alright, Hikari, if you want to fight someone as weak as Tsubasa, then go ahead."

Tsubasa scoffed, "Weak? After I beat him, I'll defeat you, Uryu, and show you how powerful I, the greatest Quincy, really am."

Without saying a word, I brought out Tenshi. I wanted to get on with this, so I could focus on my training with Kurosaki.

I charged forward, trying to end this fight as quickly as possible. I swung, but only struck air.

"Temper, temper, Hikari," Tsubasa taunted from behind me. "Try to enjoy this battle, isn't that the entire reason that you're here?"

"No," I replied. "I'm here to learn about the Quincy. And, unfortunately, I haven't learned anything."

"Well, I guess that I need to give you a crash course in Quincy 101," Tsubasa smirked. "Lesson number one: Quincy, unlike the inferior Shinigami, use spirit energy from the air or from other medium. This condenses into a bow, and we use energy-filled arrows to attack. Each bow has a specific name, and mine happens to be the most powerful in existence."

I scoffed, "Are you sure about that? It seems like Uryu over there is a wee bit more powerful than you are. What did he say, something about not being 'powerful enough to defeat a Shinigami'?"

I knew that I pressed the wrong button, but I felt like seeing this guy at his strongest. He piqued my interest, and hurt my pride.

_Saying that Shinigami are inferior? I've only been one for a few days, and I know that they are the most powerful beings in existence._

Tsubasa shook his head, "Are you trying to mess with me? I may give Uryu the reaction that he wants, but I'm not stupid. Although, if you really want to see me at my best, then let us begin." He brought out a golden pentacle from his wrist and cried, "Goruden Akuwashi!"

I smiled, as a spider web appeared at Tsubasa's hand. It was deep-red, almost scarlet, but was easily controlled by Tsubasa.

"This is a Quincy's main weapon, the greatest combination of offense and defense. Now, let this battle truly begin!"

He moved forward, decently fast. I swung out, but he jumped up. I saw him in midair, but then he eclipsed the sun, and I had to cover my eyes. I could barely make out the scarlet energy that gathered around his shoulder.

"This is how the Quincy operate," Tsubasa shouted. "Licht Regen!"

I had no idea what language that was in, but I had to quickly dodge the hundreds of deep-red arrows that flew down. It was virtually unending, and I couldn't evade all of them. I used Tenshi to slice through many of them, but I had to keep moving. Every time an arrow came anywhere close to me, it felt like it was stealing energy from me.

Tsubasa appeared in front of me, and I quickly swung. He used his weird-shaped bow, Goruden Akuwashi, to block.

"Ah, and you thought that this would be easy. Trust me, this is nowhere close to over." As he spoke, I started feeling tired and weary. I quickly backed away, confused and breathing heavily.

"What just happened?" I asked, panting.

Tsubasa smirked, "What do you think just happened?"

I rolled my eyes, "You are of absolutely no help. I thought that this was a learning experience, but you're turning it into all-out war. But, if that's the way you want to go, let's do this."

I used my instant dislike for this dude to fuel my power, and I felt stronger.

_Who does he think he is? How dare he think that he's better than I am? I need to show him what a Shinigami can really do!_

The reiatsu was literally pouring out of me, and I felt on top of the world. An arrow flew towards me, but I blocked it. I ran forward, dodging red arrows flying towards me. I could see the whites of his eyes when I leaped high into the air. I brought Tenshi above my head, bringing all of my weight down, onto Tsubasa's bow.

"You obviously don't learn too well," Tsubasa said, trying to keep me from reaching him. "Shinigami use the spiritual powers within them, which is sent out as reiatsu, spiritual pressure. Quincy are the opposite. There are spiritual particles in the air, called reishi. When you release reiatsu into the air, you are simply fueling my power, idiot."

He smirked and pushed back, sending me flying. I crashed on the ground, groaning in pain. I slowly stood back up, trying to gather some sort of plan together.

"Have you had enough, Hikari?" Tsubasa called.

I laughed darkly, "Not even close. I can do this all day." But, I was losing my confidence. There had to be something that I could do to win this fight, but what?


	9. Chapter 9: Cue Teamwork

**Chapter Nine: Cue Teamwork**

I gritted my teeth, determined to defeat the jerk that thought that he was better than I was.

_How though? I can't release any reiatsu, because he can use it against me. It's not like I can ask Tenshi; that would take too long. I've gotta do this myself. Hmmm…_

Deep in thought, I almost didn't notice the scarlet arrow zooming towards me. At the last second, I turned out of the way, feeling the energy getting sucked out of me as it flew by.

"What's wrong, Hikari?" Tsubasa jested, "Are you out of ideas already?"

I looked over, trying to find Uryu. Maybe he could tell me what I needed to know without having to go through this dangerous process. But, he was nowhere to be found.

"Who are you looking for, Hikari? It's just me and you, Uryu probably got bored with this fight. You aren't the most competitive fighter in the world."

I snorted, "Yeah, you're not the most interesting person in the world either. How about this: If I can beat you within five minutes, you join the team to hunt down Waru Saisei. If I cannot, then I will concede that Shinigami are inferior to Quincy and will leave you alone forever. Deal?"

He thought for a second, "Fine, I like that idea. Five minutes, huh? Alright, I have an alarm clock on my phone. Just give me a second." He brought out a cell phone and started tapping the screen.

"There, five minutes starting… NOW!"

I dashed into action, trying to make the most of the time that I had. Five minutes was not a long time. I feinted a slice to the waist, then spun around and tried the same on the other side. My blade tasted blood, albeit very little, and I retreated.

"My, my," I said smugly, "the invincible Quincy has been cut. Let the party begin!"

He laughed, "You know what Hikari, how about we change the rules of this fight, raise the stakes a little bit. Just one final strike, between the two of us, and the winner represents the stronger species. Are you okay with that?"

I nodded, "I'm cool with those terms. Let's do this thing!"

Out loud, I exuded confidence, but inside I was totally freaking out.

_Crap, how am I gonna win this? He's probably got something that's long-range, and that's gonna beat me. What can I do?_

"Prepare yourself, Hikari. It's been a fun fight, but this is it!"

He brandished a thin, silver sword. It had the proper edge for a sword, but still looked a lot like an arrow.

"What in the world is that?" I asked.

"Say hello to Seele Schneider. Looks like a sword, doesn't it? But, it's an arrow. I have a nice technique that I've only recently learned that needs this nice weapon."

He put it into his bow and brought it back. I panicked, not knowing what to do. Making a split-second decision, I decided to get him before he could charge his attack

_Hikari! _

Instantly I was twisted and turned violently. I shut my eyes and cried out, but I still felt the terrible pulling feeling.

"Hikari, shut up." I opened up my eyes and saw the somber eyes of Tenshi.

Looking around, I realized that I was in The Forest, my inner world.

"What's going on, Tenshi? Why am I here?"

He didn't look too happy. "You know my name now, but you don't trust me! I want to work with you, without having to drag you here every twenty minutes."

I protested, "That's not true! I trust you completely… kinda."

He scoffed, "Yeah, you don't completely trust me. We have to be unanimous partners, you aren't allowed to be a punk."

"Okay, so how can we be better partners? I don't have that much time, though. I kinda have to beat this Quincy."

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I saw. Charging in? Not a good idea, especially when he's about to fire a Stahl-Adler. I need to teach you something, but you probably aren't going to be able to handle it. It's much too advanced for you."

I narrowed my eyes, knowing what he was doing, but still going with it. "Okay, what are you trying to get at?"

He rolled his eyes, "What I'm trying to get at is that you may be strong, but you don't use your head. Fortunately, there's a move I know that can help you. But, you'll have to beat me to figure it out."

I took that as a challenge, justifiably so. "What are you talking about? Weren't you the one that was talking about unity and how we have to work together? But, if I have to beat you, let's do it!"

I brought out Tenshi, I mean, the sword form of Tenshi.

"So, how's this gonna work? Do I have to beat you?" I asked. He remained silent, and I took that as a 'yes'. I dashed forward and swung out.

Tenshi grabbed my sword _with his bare hand_.

"You'll have to try a bit harder if you want to beat me," he said, calmly. He pushed me back, and I crashed through a tree and skidded in the ground, near the bank of the river. I felt the cold flow of the river spraying in my face, which caused me to open my eyes. I gritted my teeth, and stood up.

I brought the sword in front of me, but something was strange.

"What in the world is this? This isn't my sword!"

Tenshi looked serious, "You don't deserve to wield my power. If we can't work together in the real world, then we won't here."

I held a basic, black katana in my hands. It felt thin and weak. But, I put on my bravest face and decided to make the best of it.

"Are you sure about that, Tenshi? I don't wanna beat you with a worthless sword and hurt your pride."

"Less talk, let's fight!" Tenshi growled. He held the blade back-handed, something I never would have imagined. I moved forward, trying to take advantage of the time I had. Tenshi raised the sword above his head and launched it. I slid underneath it and everything seemed to go in slow motion as the blade flew millimeters in front of my face. I pushed myself up (which looked really cool, I might add), and swung out. But, I hit air.

"Where are you aiming, Hikari? You aren't going to hit me from over there." Tenshi's somber voice resonated behind me. I whipped around, and he was dashing towards me, sword raised. I spun out of the way and tried to slice back, but once again, Tenshi wasn't even there. I ran away before he could cut me.

_Whoa, this guy is FAST! How can I keep up?_

**Meanwhile**

"WARU!" The man screamed. "Get over here!"

The wiry young man scurried over, head bowed, "Yes, master?"

"Where is my bleu fromage that I asked for five minutes ago?"

"Fromage bleu," Waru muttered.

The man's face scrunched up in anger, "WHAT DID YOU SAY? You dare correct me?"

Waru slinked back, "I'm sorry, ma-"

SLAP! Waru flew back into the wall with a new red mark on his face.

"Now," the older man growled, "learn your place, lest I be forced to reteach it for you."

He stood up and walked away, each step resonating softer and softer.

"Just wait, old man. One day, I'll surpass you and you will feel the pain and suffering that I've felt for all of these years. Sayaka!"

A young woman came happily down the staircase. "Yes, Mister Waru?"

"How is our progress? Have you convinced the Gotei 13 to let you into Nova Karakura?"

"Of course!" She replied, cheerfully. "They love me!"

Waru frowned, "Stop the act, it's completely unnecessary and a bit nauseating.

Sayaka smirked and her whole appearance changed into a sinister, dark figure.

"But, it's good practice for the fools in the Seireitei. If I have to be an idiot, I have to be annoying to everyone, including you, Waru."

Waru raised an eyebrow, instantly in suave mode, "You wouldn't try to annoy me, would you?" He moved in closer, and she giggled nervously. "I would hope that we would be at a point in our relationship where that shouldn't matter."

He leaned in closer, and Sayaka's eyes fluttered. Then, she shoved him away.

"You still think that charm works on me?" She laughed as she walked away.

Waru chuckled, "It already has."

**Back in The Forest**

"Tenshi! Just tell me what this move is! Why can't we work together?" I yelled, trying to dodge the more frequent attacks. This was getting really hard, and I was getting exhausted. Unfortunately, Tenshi stopped speaking, too.

He lunged in for an obvious stab. I shifted out of the way and went for a slice right across the tie. I expected for him to move out of the way, but Tenshi just stood there, accepting it. There was a melancholy look in his eyes.

_Wait, what's going on here? This is way too easy... _

I stopped, my blade millimeters from his throat.

"I just… can't, Tenshi. I won't attack you, there's just no reason to. I'm sorry."

Tenshi turned to face me and smiled, "Good, Hikari. That's exactly what you need to know to be able to use this move. It shouldn't be thrown around pointlessly."

I felt tightness in my chest. When I looked down, I noticed a large sword that had implanted itself there.

"Tenshi… Why?"

I looked back up, and he looked somber, sad even. Then, the sword in my chest started glowing and the light enveloped me. When the light dimmed, the large sword was in my hand.

"Congratulations, Hikari. We can now effective work together."

The world around me began to fade away.

"I'll try to stop by more often and chat, Tenshi."

The last thing he said to me was "Remember, Hikari, names are more powerful than you think."

Then, I was back in the training area standing in front of Tsubasa, who was raising his bow.

"Now," I said seriously, "let's finish this."

Tsubasa gathered a bunch of energy into his arm, so much that it was creating a whirlwind.

But, I stood my ground, and smiled.

"Don't you patronize me, you weakling!" He screamed. "STAHL-ADLER!"

The collected energy in Tsubasa's arm acted as a propulsion system, firing the sword-like arrow. The ground became a rough path, as the arrow flew.

I held Tenshi back-handed and poured reiatsu into it, waiting for just the right moment. When I noticed, that moment I swung my sword vertically upward, creating a pair of white wings that emerged from Tenshi. It sounded like a million birds flying away.

When the two attacks collided, the resulting sound was deafening. I poured everything that I had into that attack. Dirt flew everywhere, making it impossible to see. I knew that I was still standing, albeit barely, but I didn't know if I had won or not.

"There's a reason for everything that happens," Tsubasa's voice came softly from the dust. "A reason for why some people win and others lose, a reason why some live and others die."

The dust settled, and I saw Tsubasa, who looked as drained as I did.

"Well, since both of us are standing, still, let's continue," I called, weakly.

The two of us ran at each other, me and Tenshi, him and Seele Schneider.

We raised our weapons and yelled out a sort of battle cry.

We passed each other.

I cried out as a cut appeared and blood flowed. I began to collapse, unable to continue. I thought that I had lost when I heard a thud at the same time that I had hit the ground.

Footsteps.

"I guess you both lose," Uryu's voice said. "Now, how am I going to get you two to the Fourth Division barracks by myself?"

**Author Note: I'll be taking a small reprieve from writing, so I can gather my thoughts. That's why I'm giving you three chapters at once. Remember, though, place your questions and comments in the Review section. I'd love to hear from you. **


	10. Chapter 10: Cue Training Pt Two

**Chapter Ten: Cue Training, Pt. 2**

When I awoke, I remember two things distinctly.

One: A lot of people surrounding my bed.

Two: Receiving a bunch of slaps and shots directed towards the head.

When the ultimate bashing stopped, Ichigo spoke sternly, "What in the WORLD were you thinking? You two fight in the middle of the Seireitei, without any supervision? I am extremely disappointed."

I looked over at the bed beside me, and saw Tsubasa, depressed-looking.

"It wasn't their fault, Ichigo," Uryu tried, defensively.

But, Kurosaki interrupted, "Yes, I know all that, Ishida. You were supposed to be supervising, but you run off, leaving two kids to bash it out."

Uryu looked hurt. "Ichigo, when you and I met, were there any adults supervising? And don't tell me that it was different, because there were more lives at stake then. There were no sudden Menos sightings here, no permanent damage. It's a double-standard to chastise these guys, when we ran around without anyone looking after us."

Ichigo looked like he wanted to respond, but nothing came out. He, much like myself, was at a loss for words. Finally, he shook his head and laughed.

"You know what, Uryu? If I weren't the Captain-Commander, I would have to beat you up for a comment like that. But, I must show restraint and dignity."

Everyone tried to muffle their laughter, some doing better than others. There was a man next to Ichigo, who looked Hispanic and was wearing a dark blue shirt with a red cross. He seemed like the strongest-looking of the bunch.

"Ichigo, it's alright."

For the rest of the time, he was completely silent.

There a nice chat, with laughter and fun, but soon everyone had to leave.

Kurosaki lingered behind.

"Tsubasa, you're free to go."

He sprung up and ran quickly out, leaving me all alone with the most powerful being in Soul Society. Fun…

"Are you going to punish me?" I asked, apprehensively.

He smiled, but from my view, it looked like an evil grin.

"Hikari, I would never want to hurt you. Actually, I'm going to train you, starting now. We are going to walk back to the training ground."

I raised an eyebrow, "Um, I'm kind of injured. I don't know if I can even move properly."

Ichigo picked me up and tossed me out of the hospital bed. I landed on my two feet and, strangely, didn't collapse.

"Do you remember Orihime?" I nodded. "Well, not only are those shields of hers used to defend, but they have very interesting healing powers, too. It's very convenient. But, less talking! We're here to train. Meet me at the same training grounds that you fought Tsubasa, and our training will commence."

_So, he was watching the fight…_

He stepped, and then vanished. I wasn't exactly sure how he did that, but I was sure that I would be learning how to do it shortly. I ran all the way back to the training grounds, huffing and puffing.

"Wow, you're slow. I'm going to show you something that may kill you. I hope that you're ready for it."

I nodded, and brought out Tenshi for safety's sake. Unfortunately, I could only barely follow the movements of Kurosaki. He appeared behind me, and before I realized what was going on, a cut appeared across my chest.

I winced, feeling the pain course through me.

"Lesson number one," Sensei said. "Pain is simply a message. You can choose to lie down and die, or to ignore the message and continue the fight."

I turned to face him, but he was behind me again.

"Lesson number two," Sensei stated again. "There are only two types of battles: The ones to protect your pride and the one to protect life."

He tried to slice me again, but I knew better. Soaring through the air, I arched my back and flipped, landing behind Sensei.

I smirked, raising my blade. He didn't turn around, and my blade went right through him. My eyes widened, but I remembered the trick that Urahara tried with his weird Gigai-thingy.

Moving quickly to the right, I felt a rush of wind as the large sword crashed into the gravel. I stopped and faced my teacher smugly.

"I won't fall for that trick twice. Do you think that I was born yesterday?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" He replied. I frowned instantly.

_I'm tired of this. Let's end this fight._

I gripped Tenshi backhanded and smirked, "Have you seen this one? If you have, well, have fun trying to stop it."

While flooding reiatsu into my blade, I realized that Ichigo wasn't moving.

_What is he doing? Does he think that he can stop it? _

I felt the anger rise into my cheeks and I swung Tenshi, releasing all of that energy. I enjoyed hearing the sound of wings flapping that accompanied my new attack. I heard a muffled yell and assumed that the attack had connected with the target. Smoke encompassed the area, and I chuckled at how easy that was. The attack didn't completely drain my energy, either, so that was a positive.

The smoke began to fade and I saw a figure standing tall. My jaw fell in astonishment.

_How is he still standing? That should've hit! Unless…_

"I thought that you would've known better than to randomly attack me, Hikari. Either way, that attack of yours is pretty strong. But, I have a blast of my own."

The smoke faded completely and Ichigo stood firmly, blade held high. I just stared, eyes wide. I couldn't even move.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

He swung down and a blue wave came flying towards me. I tried to move, but my legs wouldn't budge.

Closer, closer.

Finally, my legs would move, and I dove quickly to the right. I didn't even have the sense to roll, and got a face-full of dirt.

But, I was alive.

I saw a shadow pass me, and looked up. Sensei stood above me, in one of those "cool-guy" poses that I could never get quite right.

"Your blade… is full of fear. When you defend, you think 'I am afraid of getting hurt'. When you attack, 'I am afraid of cutting you'. And, when you protect, 'I am afraid of letting them get hurt'. You need to be strong. Think 'I will not get hurt' or 'I will cut them' or 'I will guard them'. Do you understand that?"

I nodded. Well, as close to a nod that one can make on the ground.

"Now," he continued, "there's one more thing." He raised his blade high into the air.

I didn't understand, but accepted it.

_He needs strong people who aren't full of fear. I guess I didn't make the cut. Haha, cut, that's a nice choice of words._

The blade came down, and I closed my eyes.

Nothing but black.

_Am I dead? Can dead people think? I don't know. I guess there's only one thing to do, then._

I peeked my eyes open, and saw a pair of sandals. Farther up, and I saw bright orange hair.

Ichigo grinned, "You didn't think that I'd kill my protégé, did you?"

I stood up, slowly, trying to adjust my eyes to the light. The sun was bright overhead, and I shaded my eyes with my hand.

We walked together in silence, fully enjoying the afternoon. Some stopped to chat with the Captain-Commander, but it was short and, once again, we were on our way. I wasn't sure where we were going, but Ichigo looked like he knew where to go. After a while, though, it seemed like we had passed the same buildings.

"Um, Ichi – I mean, Sensei – do you know where we're going?"

"Yes, and now that you've realized that we've been going in circles, we can get to where we need to be."

He looked serious, but I could see a smile twitching out. I chuckled a little, but was really confused. I expected Ichigo to be more… uptight than I had seen. Finally we turned right and started trekking up a hill.

By the time we got to the top, I was panting for breath. Sensei, on the hand, looked refreshed, like he hadn't taken a single step.

"This is Soketsu Hill, where the climax of my first journey took place. I decided to come up here to give you the second aspect of our training: Creativity and Knowledge."

The landscape was beautiful, you could see what seemed like forever.

"So, what are we doing here?" I asked.

"This is where the training part of our training will begin. That last part was for two reasons: to show you that there is never a point of perfection and to cut your hair."

I instinctively reached up and felt my head. It was different. I brought out my sword and looked in my reflection. My hair was much spikier. I looked like a completely different person, just from a haircut.

"Ichigo? What are you doing here? I'm using Soketsu Hill for training with my new protégé."

I looked over, and saw a tall man with bright red hair, tattoos on his face, and towel around his forehead. There was also a familiar girl with him.

"Hey, Hikari. Fancy seeing you here. Come here often?" Kurami asked.

I chuckled, but didn't answer.

"I think that there's been some sort of misunderstanding, Renji. But, there is a simple way to solve this. Why don't we have our separate proteges battle and whichever team wins get this hill? The loser walks."

Kurami nodded her head in agreement instantly, as did Renji. I furiously shook my head, but no one paid any attention to me.

"Alright, Ichigo, I like this. Everyone knows that I am a better teacher than you are. Are you ready, Kurami?"

She smiled evilly, "Of course I am. My sword has been wanting this for a long time."

_Really? This isn't good. I don't think I can go through another fight. _

"Sure, I guess," I said absently.

I turned to Ichigo, "Sensei, why do I have to fight my friends? It's pointless."

He looked down at me in shock, "What are you talking about? Fighting only makes the bond stronger. Any normal family knows and understands that. Now, let's go!"

I wasn't too inspired by that short speech, but it slightly changed my outlook. I stepped forward, gripping Tenshi tightly.

"Are you with me, Tenshi?" I murmured. As if in response, I felt a huge spike in power. It felt... good. Really good.

"Let's do this!" I shouted loudly and intensely.

"Alright, Hikari!" Ichigo cheered.

Kurami cackled, "That's more like it. Are you ready now? Because my sword is getting antsy."

I realized that I wouldn't win trying to play a long-range battle, especially with that ice punch attack of hers. So, I dashed forward, throwing caution to the wind.

"Freeze up, Rinhi!"

I quickly leaped to the left, trying to stay out of the blast radius.

_Crap, too late. I guess I've gotta play this one by ear._

"Aisupachi!"

Kurami's whole sword turned into a handle connected to a long arm with a fist on the end, completely made of ice.

I tried to run through the swing radius, which I kinda made up in my mind. Maybe I made it halfway there... Maybe, but I got a nice cold shot to the stomach. I flew back, skidding into the dirt. I got up and dusted myself off.

_This may be a little harder than I thought..._

I tried again, running straightforward, again ending with me in the dirt. Just for good measure, I attempted once more, with similar results.

"Is this all you're going to do, Hikari? I really expected more."

Slowly getting to my feet, I laughed, "Oh, that was simply a warm-up. Now, it's time to get serious."

Digging into Tenshi's power once more, I felt another boost in power. I made a plan on the fly, and ran forward.

"Again, Hikari? You're way too slow to try and pull this off, and you know it."

I just gritted my teeth.

_If she thinks that we're too slow, why don't you just speed up, Hikari?_

I saw Tenshi flying beside me. I nodded, and added a little pep in my step. In a split-second choice, I decided to appear behind her, and, grabbing my blade backhanded, I cried out, releasing my relatively new, unnamed technique in a wave of white.

"Well, I've never seen that before. What is that called?" Kurami's voice called from the smoke.

I coughed, "I don't really have a... name for it, yet. But, that's just because I haven't had time to make up a name for it."

She laughed, "Do you think that you can just create a name for an attack? Attacks come from your Zanpakuto, and they have their own name."

"I guess that there are a lot of things that I still don't know. I just got this job recently, you know."

She was about to respond, but I decided to take the "initiative" and attack. She blocked the blow. Both of us became locked in a struggle for leverage and power.

"Ah, this is more like what I'm expecting from you, Hikari. But, if you win, I'll be branded a loser by my sensei. And, that, is unacceptable."

I jumped back, shocked. "What in the world are you talking about? You aren't a loser. If that's the case, though, I'll throw the match. It's fine."

"No," she said, "I have to be able to win on my own."

_Ugh, she is way too prideful. I guess the only thing to do is fight._

I sighed, "If you're going to be annoying, I guess I have to just defeat you."

"My sword has been itching for this moment. And, since you showed me your new move, let me do the same."

I prepared myself for whatever could be coming next.

Kurami raised her sword above her head and shouted out.

"Iced Shell!"

**Author's Note: Hey, guys, I'm back. Virtual high-five to those of you got the FT reference at the end. Please remember to review, that's the only way I can get feedback. See you guys next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11: Cue Kurami's Victory

Chapter Eleven: Kurami's Victory

_Ugh, how many powerups does she have? I mean, this is getting a little ridiculous._

A giant blue wave of fog rippled out, both blinding and freezing. I shivered, trying not to catch a cold or, say, die of hypothermia.

I leaped back, trying to put a little distance between us, hoping that the fog would die down. Fortunately, it did begin to fall. But, before I could fully see, I got knocked in the gut harder than I ever had before. I couldn't really tell where I was, but I was moving really quickly. Then, I suddenly stopped moving. My vision began to clear, but all I saw was blue.

Then, I dropped. I felt a sense of vertigo, and I just kept accelerating. Finally, I crashed, going virtually through the ground, leaving a slight crater. It was all I could do to keep from passing out. I stumbled up, retched, then tried to refocus. Everything just kept spinning, and I fell down again.

"Come on, Hikari, what happened to that gung-ho spirit? I thought that you were going to defeat me," Kurami taunted.

I gritted my teeth, trying to obtain the strength to get back on my own two feet. I dug deep and got up. Granted, I was wobbly, but I did not fall down.

I felt a new sense of determination and strength.

_I will not lose! But, if I don't, Kurami will. There is no win-win solution here. Well, I guess that I just have one option._

_Win._

I gripped Tenshi tightly, and just holding it made me feel replenished. I figured a plan for victory. It wasn't the best, and depended on one assumption. But, I decided that my back was against the wall, and I didn't really have the choice. I leaped up into the air and pushed against the air, propelling myself towards Kurami. I switched my grip, and released some energy out, in the form of white wings. The move itself propelled me higher into the air. I then turned around, and used pushed against the air again, forcing my descent. My ears popped and my eyes closed, as I went faster and faster down. I tried to make myself like a missile, like someone I had seen in a movie.

My sword raised, my excitement exploding, I swung, bringing all of my exhaustion and exhilaration into it. But, something was blocking me. I opened my eyes to see a blue jagged arm blocking me. Not like the fist that Kurami normally. This was _Kurami's arm_.

"I like the new look, Kurami," I said, laughing. "It suits you, really.

All of her major appendages, both arms and legs, were covered in a huge layer of ice. There was even a little icy tiara on her head.

I raised an eyebrow, "So, this is how you almost knocked me unconscious. Impressive, it probably shielded you from my attack. But, this is checkmate."

"Trust me, you aren't going to win this fight. And, if you think that you even have a chance at success, you might want to try hitting me."

My taunt worked, and Kurami started fuming.

"I'm going to bite your head off."

She slashed at me, but I quickly backed away.

"Is that all you can do? You seem just a touch slower than usual. Could it be the giant, frozen chunks of ice that are now attached to your person?"

She charged at me, but I easily ducked away. Being a prick, I decided to throw another taunt.

"Come on, Kurami. I haven't known you that long, so have you always been this slow? Or is it a new thing?"

Kurami frowned, "Oh, just laugh it up, but, if you wouldn't mind, I have a fight to win."

I chuckled, enjoying the moment, dodging swings and ice-blasts.

"Are you sure that this form is smart? As you can see, you just keep missing. Maybe I'm just way too powerful for anyone, especially someone as weak as you, to handle."

I was being cruel, but I wanted this fight to bring the best out of everyone involved. It wasn't a kind act, but I wasn't too much of a kind person. But, I could tell that what I was saying was really getting to her, attacking her pride directly.

The attack was super effective.

She snarled, "Fine, then, if that's what you think, then I'll just revert back to Shikai."

I leaped into the air, as Kurami began to shine brightly. Trying to pick the perfect moment, I gathered reiatsu into Tenshi.

_There, _I thought, _now's the perfect opportunity!_

I roared, dropping like a stone. Looking to my left, I saw Tenshi, smirking.

_Go for it. Give it all you've got. But, don't go overboard, she still is a friend._

I smiled, understanding completely.

"Let's end this!" I shouted, a few seconds away from winning the fight.

"I couldn't agree more," Kurami shouted. I could feel her power from where I was, and it was getting thicker and more powerful the farther down I fell. I realized what winning meant, and decided to go all-out, 100% full-power.

Right before our blades crossed, I got tackled out of the air.

A man with bright orange hair quickly pinned me to the ground, placing his arm firmly against my much rather punier throat.

"That's enough, Hikari. You fought well, but there's a point where you need to stop and say, 'Enough'. Especially with one of your friends, your family members. That's the final lesson, and I'm glad to teach it to you."

I coughed, "Sensei, if you wouldn't mind, I seem to have a large obstruction in my airway about the size of your arm. Please get off."

After regaining my ability to breath, I looked over at Kurami, who was laughing and pointing along with the red-haired man, Renji.

Frowning, I shouted, "You know, if I hadn't been stopped, I would've won this fight, and you know it."

Kurami stopped laughing, "We'll finish this fight later, with no outside interference."

In that instant, a wall on the other side of the Seireitei exploded.

**Author's Note: ****I know, this chapter is much shorter than most of mine, but the next one will be longer, I promise. Remember to comment, review, all that jazz, and I'll talk to you next chapter!**


	12. Chapter 12: Cue Superiority Complex

Chapter Twelve: Cue _Superiority Complex_

For a second, everyone stood in silence. Then, all Hades broke loose. People running back and forth, screams ripping through the air, explosions... exploding. In an instant, Renji and Ichigo left Kurami and I behind. We looked at each other, and had the same thought.

_We have to see what's wrong._

We ran towards the source of the explosion, although, Kurami was so much faster than I was. It was like she could somehow teleport. Eventually, she lost me, and I was stuck, without any knowledge of where to go. I just tried to follow the sound of dread and screams.

But, I ran right into my worst nightmare.

"Oh, hello, Hikari. Nice of you to come by." Waru Saisei said smoothly.

"Hi, Waru. I should have known that you were behind this. What do you want, you psychopathic monster?"

"Harsh words from someone who is going to die in the middle of the Seireitei."

I instantly reached for my blade, and gripped it tightly.

"So, you think that you are going to kill me? You make me laugh."

He smirked, "Well, let's see if you can stop me."

One second I was standing up, the next, I was lying on my back, slash across my chest.

"What happened, Hikari? I thought that you could stop me."

I stood up, slowly, trying to ignore the painful, bleeding slice across my chest.

_Pain is just a message, and you can ignore that message. You learned that from a book, _I thought.

"Oh, don't worry, now it's my turn."

I moved forward, preparing to slice the man in front of me. My blade slid out from its sheath, and attempted to cut Waru to ribbons, but, somehow, he just disappeared.

"Where in the world are you looking, Hikari? Can you not keep up with my speed?"

I whipped around, and suddenly got a stab in the foot. But, there was no one there. Waru was still standing there, chuckling as I hit the floor.

"Reiatsu is a very powerful thing, you know," Waru gloated. "It can create illusions. For example, a long time ago, a Shinigami's Zanpakuto was able to cause illusions and he almost destroyed Soul Society and the Gotei 13. I have refined this so that my Zanpakuto is actually unnecessary, simply a tool for me to use."

I frowned, "You are so wrong. Zanpakuto and master are partners, two halves of the same whole. I can't believe that I'm able to grasp such a concept faster than you are."

Feinting to the right, I swung around and attempted to cut Waru in two, but his blade was right there with mine. We each were jockeying for position, like a violent soccer game.

Instantly, I felt millions of blades finding themselves in my back. I crashed onto the floor, again, but there weren't any people behind me.

"Ah, I hope that you've realized that there is no way for you to defeat me. I control your nervous system, every thing that you feel physically, I control it all."

I'm not completely sure why, but I started laughing. A small chuckle at first, then more and more. Soon, it became very maniacal sounding.

"Ah, and you call me the psychopathic one. I believe that this is a pure case of insanity."

Instantly, as if a switch had been flicked, I stopped laughing.

"Oh, no, this isn't a mark of insanity. This is just my amusement at the idea that you can control me."

I ran forward, leaped into the sky, and swung down. He blocked me with his Zanpakuto, and I pushed off.

"No one controls me, try to remember that. I don't care what you think that you can do, but I refuse to be defeated."

He smirked, "You refuse, do you? I believe that you don't have a choice. Remember, I am the master here, and you are simply a maggot trying to reach the level that I have attained."

I swung a few times, but all were blocked. There were many painful stabs in my legs and in my back and all over my body.

_Pain is a message. You can ignore that message._ And I had put my phone on airplane mode.

I kept fighting, but I was being pushed back. Every strike caused more and more fatigue, which allowed those "mind-stabs" to become more and more prominent and painful.

It became a rhythmic pattern for me: block, step back, endure stab, repeat.

But, I slipped up. My block was not powerful enough to withstand Waru's attack, and Tenshi flew out of my hand.

"Hikari, you are going to die here."

My eyes widened, as he smirked. I got a kick in the stomach, followed by a slow, torturous piercing of one of Waru's imaginary swords.

_Kurami_

I was moving so fast, I didn't notice that Hikari was no longer following me. I forgot how new he was, how he didn't know how to Flash Step. My only thought was to get to the wall and see what was going on. By the time that I got to the wall, there was nothing left to do. All of the revived Soul Reapers were fighting against the living ones, but there was no really big villain to beat down. Looking around, I finally noticed that Hikari had been left behind and ran back, trying to sense his reiatsu. I was wandering around for a while, as Hikari's reiatsu is big and uncontrollable.

I did notice, however, a very thin and precise reiatsu from my direct left and took a sharp turn in that direction. It was getting closer and more dense around me, like a... surgeon with an ice-pick.

Taking the next left, I dipped in and out of alley-ways. I was so busy looking around, I ran into someone.

"Whoa, watch where you're going!" The other girl cried out.

I instantly recognized her irritating voice.

"Kori? Where are you headed?"

_Kori_

Running full-speed is not something I enjoy doing, but I could sense the nefarious reiatsu nearby, and knew that I had to act. So, I decided to move as quickly as I could, using Flash Step.

During Hikari and Kurami's "training", I was sparring with Captain Hitsugaya, working on my flow from Zanpakuto techniques to Kido, not depending exclusively on either.

When the explosion struck, Captain Hitsugaya gave me specific instructions to find Hikari, as he was sure that the enemy would be after the relatively new Shinigami. So, I searched for his reiatsu. It was not too difficult, as his reiatsu is as stealthy as a skyscraper.

I dashed over, but was not paying close attention to anyone in front of me, as I assumed that they would all be going towards the active battlefield, I accidentally ran into that brash girl, Kurami.

"Come on, Kori, we don't have time. Hikari's in danger!"

I shook my head, already in motion, "I know this, I can sense that evil reiatsu. You need to keep up."

She chuckled and ran alongside me. We moved in perfect synchronization, taking the exact same turns and not saying a single word.

Honestly, and I would never tell her this, I would not have picked a better teammate to fight alongside me.

We came just in time to see that villain, Waru, torturing Hikari, and I couldn't stand it.

"STOP IT!" I screamed, losing all of my composure.

Hikari Aoju looked over here with eyes that cried "Run away!"

Waru Saisei slowly turned and smirked, "Ah, more toys to play with."

Before I could stop myself, I shuddered in fear.


	13. Chapter 13: Cue The Quartet

Chapter Thirteen: Cue The Quartet

_Hikari_

This was not looking good. I was on the verge of passing out, being kicked around like a flat soccer ball, and going to become an involuntary acupuncture patient. If there was ever a time to despair, now was that time. Fortunately, I kept consciousness long enough to see my foolish friends come to attempt to save me. I would have said something, but my mouth refused to move. It's annoying how specific body parts refuse to move at the exact moment when I need them to.

But, they were the coolest looking duo I had ever seen, even if they did literally hate each other. Unfortunately for me, I lost all of my HP and fainted.

_Kurami_

After Hikari passed out, I decided that talk could wait. Dashing forward, I could hear Kori protest my "rash" move. Ugh, she could be such a pain sometimes.

But, my attack was easily blocked with Waru's sword. He took his free hand and gently pushed me back. Gently may be a bit of an understatement, though, seeing as I flew back into a building.

I got up, though, and dusted myself off.

Kori frowned, "I think that we should work together, or Waru will tear us apart."

Gritting my teeth, I nodded. We dashed off in different directions, trying to confuse our enemy. I didn't have much reiatsu after that battle with Hikari, so I was trying to conserve as much as possible. But, this Saisei guy was not helping my case. He effortlessly blocked all of our moves. Worst of all, _he did it without moving his feet._

I was ready to go all-out against this loser.

_If he thinks that he can look down on me, I'll tear him to shreds!_

I shouted, "Let's do this, Kori! Aisupanchi!"

She understood where I was going, and nodded.

"First Dance: Kyusoku Toketsu!"

I grinned evilly, and as that irritating mongrel Waru got his feet frozen to the ground, I launched my ice-fist towards his face.

"You two interest me," Waru said smugly. I couldn't wait to wipe that look off of his face.

Instantly, though, I felt millions of slices on my back and fell. My ice-fist evaporated into nothing. I cried in pain and fell to the floor.

"Did you really think that you could defeat me so quickly?" He asked.

"Well, kinda," I responded.

He laughed, "No one can surpass me! You are all weak maggots!"

I hopped up, ready to bite this guy's head off.

I stated quietly, "You know, I don't like you, I really don't like you."

Kori smiled evilly, "I couldn't agree more. Kurami, why don't we go all out?"

"Second Dance: Yuki no Hashira!"

"Iced Shell!"

In an instant, we were both on our backs. I had no idea what happened, but whatever happened, the trio was down for the count.

_Kori_

My eyes are trained to sense reiatsu, and I could see the black swords coming. That being said, I still could not stop them. I attempted to dodge, but it didn't work. I was unable to even debut my new technique. It irritated me, but I was in so much pain, that I was distracted.

_I must get up, we cannot fail! We will not let evil win!_

I stumbled up, but I also saw my allies standing with me, too.

"Ah, the maggots are coming together to form a little maggot colony. I'm shaking in my boots."

Hikari chuckled, "You may be able to beat us individually, but, when we are a team, you will be defeated."

"You are lying, Hikari. There is no Shinigami that can defeat me." Waru began to laugh.

_Hikari_

It seems that we have come full-circle back to me. Now, while I was passed out, I had a dream. It seems that my dreams are very strange, if you can recall the last one. This dream showed me standing face-to-face with a strange man that I had never seen before. Standing beside me were my friends: Kori, Kurami, even Tsubasa was there. But, on our side, there was one guy whose presence I didn't understand. A tall, wiry teenager with a smug look and cool-looking glasses named Waru Saisei. He was fighting with us as if he had been a member of the team from the very beginning. It severely confused me, but I didn't get a long time to focus on that, as the playing field began to shake. An army of clones rose directly from the surrounding lava. Finally, then I realized where we were. This was an active volcano and it was soon to erupt and kill us all!

Then I awoke. I was shaken by the dream, but who knew what it was foreshadowing or if it was even real. I just had to focus at the task at hand and that was escaping alive.

"Are you going to just stand there, Hikari?" Waru sneered.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh, stop it, Waru. You talk as if you have no issues."

I could see the scars beginning to emerge on Waru's preppy little face.

"Guys, this is where he starts to get scary," I warned.

"Scary?" Kurami scoffed, "Why don't you stop worrying and help us win this fight, Hikari?"

I nodded, and began to move.

"HIKARI, YOU WORTHLESS FOOL! I WILL CRUSH YOU AND ALL OF YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS!"

I shook my head, "Waru, you know, if you weren't such a psychopathic maniac, I would feel bad for you. But, since you are, there's only one thing for me to do. TAKE. YOU. DOWN."

That's when we all sprang into action. I launched my still-unnamed attack at Waru head-on, while Kori and Kurami flanked him. If my timing was correct, then there would only be one direction for him to go. And, that would fall directly into my trap.

I could see Waru's flash around, trying to see an escape route. He glanced up, and saw what he thought as the perfect place to avoid an attack. The only viable plan was to go up.

When he went up, I sent a prayer to as many deities as I could in the split second that I was given that _he _would show up.

"Stahl-Adler!" I heard him yell.

I had never loved seeing that black-and-red flying arrow/sword-thingy blast more. Actually, since the last time I had ever seen it, the attack was being used against me, so I had never actually loved seeing that black-and-red flying arrow/sword-thingy blast before.

With his strange, emo-like hair, and his dark night-and-red trenchcoat, Tsubasa Ishida made a very dramatic and heroic entrance.

"I think that this trio, Hikari, just became a quartet."


	14. Chapter 14: Cue Power Lust

Chapter Fourteen: Cue Power Lust

_Hikari_

"Ah, Tsubasa Uryu," Waru called from the smoke, somehow surviving a dead-on Stahl-Adler.

"Waru Saisei, you are a fool. Not only did you have the nerve to attack the Seireitei directly, but you were intelligent enough to manipulate Central 36 into bringing the protective Shinigami back from Nova Karakura."

Tsubasa jumped down from the building, landing with one knee bent.

_Wow, that looks cool; I need to take some notes._

"Unfortunately, I've already seen all of the possibilities, and there is no way you can win, Waru," Tsubasa had a glint in his eye.

"I may not have the numbers on my side, but I am still powerful enough to defeat all of you at the same time. You all are maggots that I will send to the fire."

Tsubasa chuckled, "Fine, Waru. But, I'm the only one who will battle you. You said it yourself, 'There is no Shinigami more powerful', so the greatest Quincy will defeat you."

Before Waru could respond with a snide remark, Tsubasa formed his spiderweb-like bow and shot an arrow. But, his arrow curved straight up at the last-minute.

Waru laughed, trying to say something, but Tsubasa moved in close, picked up Seele Schneider, and went for a slash. It may have been blocked, but it took a toll on Waru. I could see it in his eyes, even Waru Saisei had a limit to his power and stamina. Tsubasa's sword/arrow was moving faster than I had seen.

"Tsubasa," I shouted over the sound of clanging metal, "you've been holding out on me!"

_I will not be outdone by him! _I told myself.

I stood up a little higher, and strengthened my resolve.

"Tsubasa, I'm coming in!" I shouted.

"Wait, Hikari, don't!" Kori and Kurami yelled, breaking my tunnel vision.

"What!" I shouted, frustrated.

"Don't do this, Hikari, Tsubasa's got a plan, I know it," Kori stated emphatically.

"I don't know the guy – probably because I've been renegade for a while – and I want to get into it, too, but something seems strange."

I looked over, and saw something incredible. Tsubasa was actually pushing Waru back. Waru was exhausted, it was so easy to see. He had gone through an incredible gauntlet, I was surprised that he was still standing.

Then, everything changed. The entire atmosphere got thick. It was becoming difficult to breath, and the entire world got darker.

I saw my friends, already unconscious on the floor. Even Tsubasa was moving slowly. And, Waru was taking advantage of that. It seems like the thick reiatsu that was suffocating us was actually refreshing Waru.

Tsubasa was going to lose, and I was too slow to do anything about it.

Then, there was an epic roar, like a lion, and the sky opened up.

A dangerous-looking golden-yellow light shot down in a cylinder-shaped structure. I had no idea what it was.

"Tsubasa, move!" Kori screamed in terror.

My legs moved before my brain could catch up and I was literally charging directly into a fight. I could see the light falling right down. Pushing myself as hard as my battered body could go, I finally connected with the Quincy and tackled him out of the way.

"So long, gnats," Waru smirked, as the golden light fell on him, "I shall be seeing you soon. Ta ta…"

He was lifted into the sky, and soon floated out of view.

I rolled over, exhausted, feeling a strange combination of both relief and confusion.

"Is everyone alive?" I asked, trying to stand up.

Multiple confirmations in the form of "Mmmm" and "Yep" told me that no one had died.

Kurami laughed darkly, "Well, that went well. We all battled a maniacal mastermind and collectively failed."

Tsubasa, the only one who actually held his own, disagreed, "Do not place me, the greatest Quincy, in the same classification as you mere Shinigami."

"Oh, whatever," Kurami replied. "You know that you are as close to unconsciousness as the rest of us."

"Yeah," I piped up. "We're a team. We fight together, we pass out together."

Everybody laughed, even Tsubasa and Kori.

"Yes, everything's so funny, isn't it?" An unfamiliar voice called.

I looked up and saw Ichigo, Uryu, Renji, and another teenager with white hair. For some reason, the teen had on a captain's haori.

Instantly, we all stood up and stopped laughing. Bowing our heads in unison, I believe that we were all collectively waiting for our collective punishments.

"Sensei!" I called.

"Renji!" Kurami said, quietly.

"Captain Hitsugaya!" Kori shuddered.

Tsubasa just stood there, looking dead at Uryu, not breaking eye-contact.

"This is possibly the worst-possible scenario," Ichigo said. "Not only did our four students get beaten, they got beaten by a single guy."

"Head Captain Ichigo! Head Captain Ichigo!" A random Shinigami came running.

She whispered in his ear, probably giving a death toll or some sort of information on the enemy's hideout.

Then, she scurried away. Ichigo became frustrated, angry even.

"Now it makes sense," He said severely.

"What are you talking about, Sensei?" I asked, not sure that I wanted to know the answer.

"What was the target of this invasion?" Ichigo asked us.

"Umm, I thought that he was after Hikari," Kurami responded, unsure.

"Wasn't Hikari the target?" Kori asked back.

Tsubasa and I were silent. We both knew that I wasn't the target.

"Tsubasa, Hikari, who do you think the target was?"

I shook my head, "I have no idea, but I know that it wasn't me. If Waru wanted to kill or capture me, he would not have left so quickly."

"I know." All eyes turned to Tsubasa. "This attack was just a diversion, so all of the defenses would focus here, in the Seireitei. Now, for those of you paying attention, that leaves one place completely unprotected."

Instantly, I knew what he was talking about, but I didn't want to believe it.

"Since all of our forces were dealing with protecting Soul Society, Nova Karakura was left completely unprotected. As a result, the enemy's target was not Hikari, but Hikari's allies, Chiyo, Akira, and Temari.

I couldn't breathe. All of this information, all of this pressure. I couldn't breathe.

"I'm sorry, Hikari," Ichigo started. But, I wasn't listening.

I ran. As far as I could, in the complete opposite direction, I ran.

I ran outside of the gates of the Seireitei, far out past all of the poor regions of the Rukongai, into a distant forest.

_Tsubasa_

"What a wimp," I muttered to myself. "Running away like that."

"Did you say something, Tsubasa?" Uryu asked, genuinely.

I shook my head, not in the mood to explain anything to this man.

"Anyway, Tsubasa, you still have a lot to work on. If you cannot defeat a single Shinigami, then there is no way that you can dare claim the title of "Greatest Quincy"."

I frowned, "You know, why don't we spar? I need to wipe the floor off your smug face."

"I'm perfectly okay with that, why don't we go right now?"

"No," I shook my head. "Not now, I have something to deal with."

"Please, don't try to attach yourself to that Shinigami. He is just another obstacle to overcome."

I smiled, "I know, dear father. Why would I ever disobey you?" And with that, I turned and walked away.

_Kori_

"Kori, that was extremely dangerous! Why would you do something like that?"

I frowned as my mother yelled at me.

"Okay, I understand that you're upset, but you and Dad did things like this all of the time! This is nothing compared to that!"

"Why would you compare the two?" Mother asked, indignant.

"Because, these two situations are extremely similar and should be compared! It's not as if I am running away, creating haywire! I am being a helpful part of this squad and of the Gotei 13. Why can't you see that?"

Mother sighed, "I know, and maybe it's my motherly instincts, but something is dangerous about this situation. Maybe I was wrong, inserting you into my personal division."

"What!" I protested. "No, I am happy where I am!"

Mother instantly went into her 'abrasive mode'. "But, that's the point! You are happy here, comfortable. So, in order to help unlock your full potential, you have been transferred to the Tenth Division."

I would protest, but there was nothing I could do.

"Thank you, Captain Kuchiki, it has been an honor serving under you."

Turning on my heels, I ran as far as I could get from that building.

_Kurami_

"Alright, Kurami, you got your butt handed to you by that Waru guy." Renji decided at that moment to state the obvious.

"I know, I know, it was embarrassing. I mean, I am so far behind Hikari and Kori and even that Tsubasa guy. I just need some time to work on the techniques that you've shown me."

"We don't have that kind of time," He replied, seriously. "You saw how quickly they got here, who knows when they'll strike again. You need to be ready yesterday."

I shook my head at his attempt at humor, and just turned away.

"I'm sorry, Renji, I'm not the amazing lieutenant that you were, but I will be powerful. Don't worry, I will not be shadowed by my friends. Especially not that Kori."

I walked out of the room, then ran out, working on my stamina.

_Ichigo_

I sat in my office, waiting for a few minutes. Then, I pressed a button on my desk and three squares appeared on the wall, forming a triangle.

"So, how did everything go?" I asked.

Renji answered first. "I don't like doing this, Ichigo. If they hate us, I am coming after you."

Rukia was next, "It killed me to transfer Kori, but it was necessary. Toshiro is going to be her new captain, but I will still oversee some aspects of her training."

Uryu then spoke up, "Did everyone get them to run to the same location?"

"Yes," I answered, "Urahara placed a Kido around the Rukongai, sending those four specific reiatsu to the location. From there, they have to use what has been given."

"I just hope this doesn't backfire," Uryu said, unsure.

I shook my head, trying to clear my doubts.

"So do I, Uryu, so do I."


	15. Chapter 15: Cue Smack Talk

Chapter Fifteen: Cue Smack Talk

"What is going on? How will I be able to win this?" I shouted aloud, racking my brain cells.

_Why is this so difficult? I've got all of the pieces, I just need to connect them._

"It would help if you would stop screaming."

Without thinking, I automatically brought out Tenshi and turned around.

"Whew, calm down," Tsubasa raised his hands, "I come in peace."

"How did you find me, Tsubasa?" I asked, putting my blade back in his sheath.

"Well, if a tree falls in the middle of the woods, and someone IS around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

I scratched my head, "Yeah, I'm just not in the mood."

"It was supposed to be funny, but if you aren't going to laugh at the joke, then it doesn't matter. What I mean to say is that you were very loud, and it was very simple to track someone that loud."

"Good job, Tsubasa, you actually got Hikari, one of the most dense people I know, to understand a reference."

This time, we both brought out our respective weapons. Well, Tsubasa's just formed from nothingness, but I had to bring Tenshi back out.

Emerging from the shadows, Kori chuckled. Both Tsubasa and I frowned. I didn't even put Tenshi away, but Tsubasa made his web-like bow away.

"What are the odds of the three of us running out of the Seireitei and finding each other like this?" I asked, rhetorically, trying to force a laugh.

After a moment, Tsubasa said, "9.427603581 billion to one."

For a minute, both Kori and I just stared at him, each with a similar expression. Both of us had a 'how in the world did you know that'-look on our faces.

"Well," Kurami's voice called from the shadows, "I guess the odds are in our favor, then."

"Why are we all here?" I asked, hoping someone would have the answer. Even Tsubasa, who could spout out random facts, was at a loss for words.

"Friends, Shinigami, countrymen, lend me your ears."

We all brought our respective weapons and special effects out to the table and prepared for the worst.

The oddly-shaped shadow emerged, holding a fan to shield his face.

"Don't worry," Urahara's face came into view. "I came to praise Caesar, not to bury him."

Tsubasa burst into a fit of laughter, while the rest of us were stumped at the reference that was made.

Tsubasa looked around, frowned, and regained his composure.

"Urahara, now what do you want?" Kurami asked, exasperated.

"Ooh, feisty," Urahara said, smiling, "I would invite you for a couple of drinks, but then I would have to invite your pretty friend, too."

Tsubasa and I sighed, while the girls swooned.

"Oh, Urahara, that's illegal," Tsubasa said, irritated.

"Please, Tsubasa, don't ruin my fun."

I shook my head, "Why are you here, old pervert?"

Urahara put his fan away, and the entire forest became serious.

"You four, you were all outdone by one person. That is unfortunate, and illogical. Soul Society has defeated a man using illusions before, but never something of this magnitude. Somehow, Waru Saisei is able to animate corpses. And, it seems like this is effortless for him."

"What are you thinking, Urahara?" Kori asked.

"I believe that you each need to increase your power. That's why I'm going to be a part of each of your training from now on."

"And, you couldn't have told us this in the Seireitei? Really?" I asked.

Urahara sighed, "If I had done that, you all would not have come together like you just did."

"Wait, though, why are we waiting? My family is in trouble! They could die if we don't go now!" I said.

Kori put her hand on my shoulder, "I know how you feel, but where are you going to go? And, even if you do know, you're just going to have to fight Waru again."

I wrenched away, agitated. I knew that she was right, but that didn't help at all.

"Fine, just let us out of here," I growled.

Urahara laughed, "Temper temper, Hikari. Do not fear, Kisuke is here."

A doorframe appeared in the middle of the woods, and no one even heard it. I looked at it, and the reality inside the doorframe began to twist and swirl.

"Come, step through the door and let's get back to training."

The other three were arguing between themselves, trying to decide who would be first to step through the strange door. No one noticed when I slipped through the doorway.

Passing through a random teleportation device is very difficult to explain. It was like getting punched in the stomach and being told a bedtime story. The experience, well, if you are a Shinigami, you gotta talk to Urahara about going through that.

I emerged out of the portal and fell on the ground.

_Who leaves a portal a foot-and-a-half off the ground?_

Looking up, I saw Ichigo.

"What do you want, Ichigo?"

"It's time to step up your training, Hikari. Since Waru wiped the floor with you, there's not much else to do."

I frowned, "Yeah, as everyone keeps reminding me, I got beaten by Waru Saisei. And, Tsubasa's held up against him better than I could."

"Well," he said, chuckling, "since you said something about that, it's true. We just need to strengthen the bond between you and your Zanpakuto."

"And how are we going to do that, oh wise Captain-Commander?" I asked, irritated at this whole situation.

"Oh, I think that a competition is in order. We'll have a little tournament in all of the squads. The winners of each squad will then have another tournament. Finally, the winner will face me."

"Wait a second, what about those, like me, who aren't in a division? Or those that aren't even Shinigami?"

He raised an eyebrow, "What, you mean that Quincy-boy, Tsubasa? Oh, don't worry, we'll include him. And, just to be fair to everyone, we will exclude the captains. But, that doesn't mean that you'll have it easy. It's gonna be interesting."

Ichigo Kurosaki then walked away, leaving me to myself.

_Oh, great, I get to take part in a stupid tournament while my family is who-knows-where!_

I was sitting on the ground, planning my own pity-party, when I looked up.

"What in the world are you doing?" Tsubasa Ishida asked, bow-out.

"Go away, Tsubasa, I am not in the mood."

"So what, you're just gonna sit there, feeling sorry for yourself?"

"Yep, that's pretty much it."

He shook his head and started walking towards me.

"No one who almost beat me is going to sit here, feeling pathetic. You are going to get up and train. And, you better not lose that tourney. Well, before I get to you, then I'll pound you."

I stood up, "I'd like to see you try, Quincy."

He put out his fist, "Oh, don't worry, I'll win, Shinigami."

I pounded it, as the sun set after this long day.

_Kori_

After exiting the portal, I decided (against my better judgment) to ask Kurami a question.

"Hey, Kurami, why'd you leave Soul Society?"

She chuckled, "Oh, the princess wants to know, does she?"

"Stop calling me a princess," I answered. "I'm just a normal Shinigami, trying to understand the thought-process of a renegade criminal like you."

"Do you wanna die? Because, it seems like you have a death wish, talking to me like that," she growled.

"Oh, no, I would never want to die."

She rolled her eyes, "Right. If that happened, then the Ice Princess wouldn't be able to rule over her castle, right?"

"Just stop it!" I screamed. "I am so sick and tired of that."

"Do you think that I like to be called a 'renegade criminal'?" Kurami bit back.

I thought for a moment, "No, I guess you're right. I'm sorry."

Before I could continue, there was a message over the Seireitei's intercom system.

_**Attention all inhabitants of the Seireitei. Captain-Commander Ichigo Kurosaki is issuing a tournament. Each division, excluding the captains, will battle in a series of bouts. The winner of each division will then face the other division winners. The final champion will have the honor of battling Captain-Commander Kurosaki.**_

"Hmmm, I guess that we will have that rematch after all, princess," Kurami said, smirking.

"I will win, just like I did last time, renegade," I replied, giving my hand.

She shook it, and I smiled.

_This may just be fun._


End file.
